Above All, Exists Love
by BluLadyK
Summary: I do exist! Like the elves who make cookies, I have returned with a chapter. Just go with the analogy and read! This chapter: Ami explores more of her devastated home world, and learns something about what war does to people.
1. New Information!

IMPORTANT INFORMATION!  
  
Okay, here's how it's going to work. Since my other crossover fic was removed, much to my chargrin, I have decided that it's really for the better. It made me realize that I needed to save my reviews. And since this fic is much the same, well the same rule is being broken, I am re-doing this one as well. (Just the vote parts are re-moved so that this fic is now in accordance to the rules and guidelines) ::sigh:: Okay. Here's the low down. The pairing for this fic is _Heero/Ami/Wufei_. Instead of telling you which one will win her in the end, you will just have to wait and see. This frees up my options a bit, but most likely it will be the one who won.  
  
Now, this story takes place just after Wise Man was defeated. The senshi know that Usagi and Mamoru are destined to be together, they know about Chibi-Usa and Crystal Tokyo. They know that Pluto exists. I stuck a new bad guy in between Wise Man and the heart snatchers (a.k.a. witches five and Mistress Nine). As of now, Chibi-Usa is still in the future; she will come in later.  
  
In the Gundam Wing world it's right after GW ends and before/during Endless Waltz. Only instead of them having scattered until the war, they are together because some minor battles and our favorite new enemy is hanging around. So they are coordinating their missions and such.  
  
Okay…I think I covered it all…now please go ahead and click the next chapter…_"Prologue: Five Minus One Equals...Chaos"_  



	2. Prologue: Five Minus One Equals Chaos

Above All, Exists Love  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon…honestly you can stop glaring at me with those jealous eyes. I don't own it.  
  
Key:  
  
"___": dialogue   
'___': thoughts   
~*~*~*~*~ : scene change  
  
Prologue: 5-1= Chaos  
  
_"Shine Aqua Illusion!"  
  
"Mercury! Look out!" came the warning from Sailor Mars. "Burning Mandara!" Her attack flew from her fingertips, the fire easily seen in the young miko's eyes at even the prospect of her now injured friend. Mercury had been hit with the Youma's pointy tentacle, piercing her soft flesh.  
  
"Sailor Moon, finish it now!" Came the deep, husky voice of the mysterious Tuxedo Kamen.  
  
"Right," she said nodding her head and whipping out her scepter. "Moon Spiral Heart Attack!" Thousands of hearts and spirals flew from the wand and destroyed the monster that had dared to hurt innocent people and one of their senshi. Once the monster was reduced to a pile of gook and gop, the senshi ran to Mercury's side.  
  
"Mercury!"  
  
"Mercury!"  
  
"Are you okay?" the calls from the fallen senshi's friends and companions rang out through the silent night. The stars twinkled in the night sky, reflecting a peace that did not exist on that particular night. A gasp and sharp intake of breath were all that answered the concerned girls. Their fallen comrade was holding one of her slim gloved hands to the wound in her side, her red lifeblood spilling onto the now stained concrete.  
  
"Mercury, you have to hang in there! You're going to be okay." Mars said reaching the injured girl first. She moved Mercury's hand from the wound only to cause the flow of blood to increase it's speed. She hurriedly pressed her own hand to the hole in her friend's flesh.  
  
"Please be okay, Ami-chan." Sailor Moon said the tears falling from her cornflower blue eyes. Tuxedo Kamen held his lover close to his chest as she sobbed her sorrow.  
  
"Do you think you can heal her Sailor Moon?" Sailor Venus asked quietly. Sailor Moon pulled back from Tuxedo Kamen's chest with a hiccuped sob.  
  
"Iie, I don't think so. Luna only said it was for healing those taken over by the enemy. I've never tried it on an injured person. I don't know if it would harm her more than help." She sniffed quietly. Venus nodded reluctantly agreeing with her friend and princess.  
  
The injured senshi's eye lids slowly flickered open, revealing her ocean blue eyes which were quickly filling with moisture.  
  
"Minna…" she gasped out. Her voice stopped any and all thoughts that were flowing through the senshi's minds.  
  
"Ami-chan!" Moon nearly shouted, leaning down closer to Mercury.  
  
"You'll be okay Mercury-chan." Mars said, her hand still pressed tightly to the wound in her friends side. Mercury slowly shook her head.  
  
"I don't feel like it…I'm so dizzy. I just want to sleep. Please just let me sleep in peace." Mercury whispered her voice cracking with the emotions that were pulling at her heart.  
  
"Iie! Ami-chan you can't leave us!" Jupiter called out, leaning down to be near her friend. The senshi all formed a tightly knit circle around their wounded friend.  
  
"You can't go to sleep! You know that Dr. Ami-chan." Venus joked through her tears. Mercury's lips cracked into a slight smile.  
  
"You always knew how to make me laugh minna…I'll never forget you. Goodbye, my friends…I'm sorry that I could not protect you Serenity-hime." She finished with a whisper. Her eyes rolled back into her head and her head lolled to the side. Her body growing still, the only movement was the slight breeze that played with the hair of the young senshi of ice. Tears were flowing freely from all senshi present, Tuxedo Kamen included. The girls had become like sisters to him, he couldn't bear to see any of them hurt.  
  
Just as Sailor Moon let out an ear piercing cry, Sailor Mercury began to glow a brilliant blue color.  
  
"What's happening minna?" Jupiter asked backing away from the girl who was now also emitting a wave of energy. The other senshi followed Jupiter's lead and backed up a few feet, giving Mercury room to do whatever she was doing. Her body floated in the air, hovering a few feet off the bloody ground. A bright blue light, starting at the jewel in her tiara and moving over her body, enveloped the young girl quickly.  
  
When the light dissipated, Mercury was left in her princess form. Her ice blue dress clung to her body, the skirt hanging down, almost touching the ground. The bodice was form fitting, and was held up by two double straps that split into four criss-crossing ones on her back. The neckline plunged dangerously low considering the senshi in question. Her feet were adorned with crush blue velvet pumps. A blue choker with the Mercury symbol dangled from her neck, her ears were triple pierced, with three blue rhinestones in each ear. The symbol of her planet and guardian shone brightly on her forehead.  
  
"Ami-hime…" Mars whispered shocked at what had just happened.  
  
"What's going on?" Venus asked, her lower jaw hanging open in both shock and disbelief.  
  
"I don't know…" Moon trailed off. "I've never heard or seen of anything like this happening before."  
  
"Serenity's pain fueled the ginzuishou to grant her wish…for Ami-chan to be okay." A voice whispered quietly. The senshi all gasped and looked down to see their guardian friend Luna staring at the young ice princess. "This has only happened once in recorded history. Over two millennia back, your great-great-great grandmother did the same for her friend when she was injured." Luna continued as if the senshi had never noticed her presence.  
  
"Which senshi was it?" Moon asked quietly.  
  
"We don't know." Artimas said.  
  
"Will that heal her?" Tuxedo Kamen asked quietly.  
  
"Please say it will…" Venus trailed off looking over at her floating friend. Luna shook her head.  
  
"We're not sure. We do not know what ever happened to Serenity-sama's friend. We were not alive at the time." Luna said sadly.  
  
"Let's get her somewhere safe." Jupiter spoke up.  
  
"Yes…where is she going to stay?" Moon asked quietly, "Tousan and Kaasan would flip if I tried to keep a floating half-dead princess in my room."  
  
"She can stay with me…I live by myself no one would ask any questions." Jupiter said. The other senshi nodded.  
  
"We'll all stay over at your house tonight, to see if anything changes. We'll all take shifts staying with her until she wakes up." Mars said, her eyes never leaving Mercury's body.  
  
"I'll carry her." Tuxedo Kamen offered. "Let's go…"_  
  
"Minako!"  
  
"Hmm?" was the response from a certain blonde hared young girl.  
  
"What were you thinking about? You were just kind of starring off into space there." Usagi asked her friend with a smile on her face. Minako's countenance turned dark at the thought of her friend that was still in her coma like state.  
  
"Is there any change?" she asked instead. At Mina's question, Usagi knew what her thoughts had been on previously. Her smile also faded rather quickly.  
  
"Iie…not a thing." Usagi said allowing her eyes to well up with unshed tears. Mina saw this and quickly stood to hug her friend.  
  
"Gomen, Usagi-chan! I didn't mean to give you melancholy thoughts as well. It's just…I can't help but feel this is my fault…"  
  
"Don't! You can't blame yourself Mina-chan!" Usagi said interrupting the girl's pity speech. "We have never fought a youma like that before. Luna has no idea what they are or where they came from. How can we be expected to? Come on Mina-chan…let's go get some ice cream."  
  
"Usagi-chan always thinking with her stomach." As if on cue, Usagi's tumbly had a rumbly. Causing the girl to blush and place her hand on the back of her neck.  
  
"Yea, well what can I say?" she said with a laugh. Mina joined in the laughter, though it was strained and forced. Everything other than tears and sadness seemed to be forced as of late. Mina wrapped her arm around Usagi's shoulder and they leaned on each other as they made their way out of Makato's apartment and down the hall towards the elevator.   
  


~*~*~*~*~

  
  
"Please Ami-chan…please wake up." Rei said holding her friends hand in her own. She kissed the top of Ami's hand before dropping it and placing her head in her hands. She sighed deeply. She didn't know how much longer the senshi would last without their friend. Both in battle and in spirit. It had been nearly three weeks since the battle that started the whole mess that they were in now. The senshi were no closer to discovering the origins of the aliens as they had dubbed them, then when they had first appeared.  
  
It was only days between battles and it took the senshi's most powerful attacks to even phase the aliens. They were weary not only in body but also in mind. They were seriously weakened without Mercury's computer and Ami's guidance. They never realized how important one senshi could be until now…until it was too late.  
  
The senshi had taken turns standing vigil over their friend. It was now Rei and Makato's turn, Usagi and Minako having just finished theirs. Mamoru and the two guardian cats had their watch in about three hours. Makato was presently in the kitchen making her and Rei some green tea to calm their nerves.  
  
They had successfully convinced Ami's mother that she was invited at the last minute to study abroad in Germany and that she wasn't able to contact her. She was a bit skeptical at first but after hearing it from all of the girls and Mamoru, she finally conceded that it was the truth and not so patiently awaited a call from her daughter.  
  
"Hey Rei-chan." Makato said opening the door quietly and walking very carefully into the room. A serving tray was in her hands, and on the tray was a steaming pot of tea, two tea cups and several cookies that Makato had just pulled out of the oven. Rei looked up at her voice and sighed again. Makato sat the tray on the table in the guest room and sat lotus style on the floor, pouring both her and Rei a cup of tea. Rei slowly made her way from the position at Ami's side to Makato's on the floor.  
  
"Do you think we'll be able to get through this?" Makato asked after taking a generous sip of her steaming brew. Rei, after also taking a sip, set her cup down and placed her hands on her thighs.  
  
"I'm not sure Mako-chan. I only hope that we will all survive to be able to get through it. I fear that Ami-chan will never waken, or she only will once we are all killed and the world is torn by these...monsters." Rei was clenching the fabric of her skirt tightly, forming wrinkled balls of fabric in her hands. "I can't stand the thought of us losing our lives to these creatures. But I couldn't bear it if we had to watch from the other side as Ami-chan awakens alone."  
  
Makato quickly wrapped her arms around her friend and hugged her to her chest. Rei couldn't hold back her tears any longer. Tears of frustration, pain, and sorrow flowed from her eyes and onto her friends green sweater. Makato soothingly rubbed her back and tried to hush her cries.  
  
"Don't worry Rei-chan. We will get through this. We have to. All we can do right now is wait and protect this earth that we have grown to love so much. The planet, the animals and plants. But most importantly, the people on this planet that we love who don't know what's going on or how to help stop it, and as much as we hate to admit it, Ami-chan is one of those people right now. We have to keep our hope and faith that everything will turn out all right. It just has to."  
  


~*~*~*~*~

  
  
A lone figure stood gazing at the beautiful sphere known as earth. She starred into its depths seeing more than the swirling clouds and the storming seas. Seeing beyond those giant hunks of dirty land and seeing into the lives of her precious daughter and her court. A lone tear fell from her blue eyes, causing a tear streak to begin on her pale face. Several more followed the first, causing several more streaks to appear on her beautiful face.  
  
She quickly whipped around upon hearing footsteps approaching her. She did so, so hurriedly that her lavender hair twisted around from behind her to the front of her body, the silver color quite evident. Her hair was done up in two odangos on the top of her head. Her worried look turned into a small smile when she saw the figure that was behind the footsteps.  
  
"Ah, Michiko-sama right on time. I am sorry that we could not meet under more amiable circumstances." The woman with the silver spun hair said. Her voice was soft, yet commanding at the same time. There was a power behind her, and yet still a passion, a spark of light that seemed to never dim.  
  
"Please Serenity-sama. I'd like to consider us friends, there is no need to be so formal." The new woman said with a small, forced smile. Serenity nodded and returned the tight smile with one of her own.  
  
"Only if you drop the sama." Serenity said. Michiko nodded before turning to face the glowing blue orb that was planet earth.  
  
"Sere…my daughter…" Serenity placed her hand on the women's shoulder.  
  
"I know Michiko. You know it must be done."  
  
"Can't she for once end up happy?" Michiko cried out, falling to her knees and burring her head in her hands. "Why must it be my family that is cursed to suffer this blight every time!" Serenity knelt down beside the sobbing women and brought her head to her chest.  
  
"Don't cry. Daijoubu, Michiko-chan. You know it all works out in the end."  
  
"But must she suffer so much to not…"  
  
"This won't help her. You cannot comfort her in this condition. We need to hurry." Serenity's calm, commanding voice seemed to snap Michiko out of her depressed slump.  
  
"Of course my queen. Forgive me your grace." Serenity sighed. Once Michiko slipped into her game mode there was no more beating around the bush or informalities.  
  
"Of course. Shall we get on with it then?"  
  
"We shall." Michiko said steeling herself for what she must do.  
  
"Take my hands." Serenity ordered. Michiko took them without hesitation and both women closed their eyes in concentration. Serenity began to chant in ancient Lunarian and Michiko in her native tongue. Serenity could not see Michiko's spirit leaving for her eyes were still tightly shut, but she felt it. "Good luck my friend." Serenity whispered before continuing the chants.  
  


~*~*~*~*~

  
  
_"Ami-chan…Ami-chan…" a soft voice filtered through the void that I was currently in. I looked all around me but I could not find the source of the voice.  
  
"Who are you? What do you want with me?" I asked, trying to hold back the tremor in my voice but failing.  
  
"Do not fear me. I will not harm you. I am here to help you. I haven't much time, so I must be brief…"  
  
"Who are you? Why can't I see you?" I called out. I heard the voice sigh. It was closer now, only a few yards away. "Please. Allow me to see you."  
  
"I cannot. For it would be breaking every rule that I was sworn to protect. Just know that I am a friend and that I am here to help you. Please, you have to trust me." The voice begged with me. I could hear the pleading tone and knew I really had no choice.  
  
"Fine…I will listen to you. But I will not guarantee that I will like or follow what you say."  
  
"I would expect nothing less…" the voice responded full of pride. "Do you know what happened to you? Or where you are?"  
  
I paused a moment to consider her questions. I couldn't remember what had happened exactly, but I do remember the battle…  
  
"The youma!" I cried aloud. "Are my friends okay?" I asked the voice of who I assumed was female.  
  
"Of course Ami-chan. You always did care more for others well being than your own. They are fine…it is you who are not."  
  
"Am I dead?" I asked tentatively, afraid of the answer. The voice chuckled.  
  
"No, my dear. You are not dead. You were wounded fairly badly by the youma and your Mercury Crystal has knocked you into a coma like state while it tries to heal your body and/or wait for someone to help it along."  
  
"Oh my…" I said, my hands going to cover my mouth. "How is everyone holding up?"  
  
"Not too good. The battles against this new alien species are constant and they cannot take the rest they need. Not to mention only their strongest, most powerful, most draining attacks have any effect on them." The voice said sadly. I allowed a few tears to fall from my eyes.  
  
"How can I hurry this healing up? I want to be out there to help my friends."  
  
"I knew you would want to. It's not going to be easy. I'm telling you that now." The voice warned. I stood rigid and nodded once, not even sure if she could see me.  
  
"I am prepared to face whatever may come." I knew the voice was smiling, somehow I knew that what I had said pleased her.  
  
"Good, I knew that you would. Now, I am going to be able to counteract the Mercury Crystal and heal you just enough that you won't die. However, there is some bad news. These aliens blood is not normal…as is expected. Their blood is actually toxic to humans. However, it is deadly to Mercurians and Venations. You must warn the others of this, so that Minako-hime isn't in the same position as you."  
  
"I can do that. Will what you are going to do, counteract the poison as well?"  
  
"No, I'm afraid that it won't. However I will give you the power to suppress the symptoms for awhile and the knowledge of how where to find the antidote."  
  
"And if I cannot find the antidote in time?" I asked, a hint of worry in my voice.  
  
"Then…I'm afraid there is nothing more that anyone can do. You will die, or more accurately re-enter your coma like state…indefinitely." I couldn't hold back my gasp.  
  
"You don't mean…"  
  
"I do. You have no idea how much this pains me to have to tell you this. But I have faith in you, I am sure that you can do this." the voice said, a small quiver could be heard. "I'm sorry. I cannot stay any longer. My time is up. Good luck Ami-chan…please succeed…my daughter…"  
  
"What?? Daughter?" Did I hear that right? I could have sworn that's what she said before she faded away. Maybe my ears are playing tricks on me? Or this could just be some crazy dream brought on by too much work and not enough sleep…but then how do I explain the battle.  
  
Was that part of my dream…oh I am so confused! Wait…what is this feeling…it feels as if I am sinking. No wait! I don't want to sink into the darkness forever…  
  
"Ahhhhh!!!!" the scream tore from my throat before I could stop myself…  
_   


~*~*~*~*~

  
  
"Ahhhh!" Ami screamed sitting bolt right up in the guest bed. Her body was glowing a bright blue before the blue faded to a slight halo effect around her body. Makato and Rei jumped up from the floor and rushed over to her side.  
  
"Ami-chan! Are you all right? What happened?" Makato fired out as soon as her mind processed that her friend was awake again.  
  
"Mako-chan, let her breath. Now Ami-chan. What happened!!!" Rei screamed, her eyes filling with tears of happiness. Ami just sat in the bed, starring at her hands as if it were the first time she had ever seen them. Suddenly she grabbed her side and hunched over.  
  
"Ami-chan, are you all right?" Rei asked quieting down and sitting in the chair next to her bed. Makato quickly called the other senshi and Mamoru with her communicator before sitting down on the other chair on the other side of the bed.  
  
"Take your time Ami-chan…" she started before Ami cut her off.  
  
"I must find the quartile range, I need to get to the apex of the space time continuum. There must be a way to transdimentionalize the senshi teleport for one. I don't the have brute power to open the vortex at the moment but if I got some help from the other senshi perhaps it could work…" Ami trailed off continuing to talk to herself. Makato and Rei both starred at the girl as if she had grown another head.  
  
"Ummm, Ami-chan. Did you hit your head or something?" Makato asked her eyebrows raised in question. About ten minutes into Ami's babbling, Mamoru and the cats arrived.  
  
"Is she okay?" he asked, stepping into the room. Makato and Rei were still staring open mouthed at the senshi that was currently talking to herself.  
  
"I don't know if I'd use those words per se. Physically she seems okay, but I don't think she's all there upstairs." Makato said with sweatdrop.  
  
"Is…she…okay…?" Usagi said in between pants having just rushed into the room, Minako right on her heels also currently panting and using the door frame as a support. Luna walked up to the girl and hopped up onto the bed.  
  
"Ami-chan…are you all right?" Luna asked cautiously staring at the girl who had stopped talking to herself and was starring off into space, a glazed look over her eyes.  
  
"She's fine Luna…" A voice said from behind the group. They all turned to see a woman with a dress very similar to Ami's only a deeper shade of blue, and a crown on her head instead of the symbol of Mercury. Luna and Artimas bowed deeply.  
  
"Michiko-sama. What are you doing here?"  
  
"There is no need to bow, you two!" she scolded gently.  
  
"Who is she?" Usagi asked confused.  
  
"She is Ami's mother from the Silver Millennium." Artimas said with a smile. The woman smiled and walked over to her daughters side.  
  
"It's time." She said sadly.  
  
"Time for what?" Rei asked staring at the dead woman who had seemingly appeared from no where.  
  
"Time for her to save herself and in turn the world."  
  
"How do you mean?" Mamoru asked.  
  
"The alien species that has invaded this planet never appeared in the normal timeline. They were not foreseen. Not even Pluto herself saw this one coming. Their blood is highly toxic to humans, deadly to all from Mercury and Venus…Mina-hime you may want to be extra careful not to have a blood to blood transfer with these creatures."  
  
"Will she live?" Usagi asked tears filling her eyes.  
  
"That has yet to be determined. She must find the antidote and mix it with the proper ingredients in order to wipe the poison out of her system."  
  
"What is it?" asked Luna.  
  
"A rare specimen indeed. She knows of it, and that is all that matters."  
  
"Where can we find it?" Usagi asked desperately.  
  
"You can't. Only she can. This is her mission alone."  
  
"But what of the monsters? How can she search the globe alone for this with them running around?" Makato asked crossing her arms over her chest.  
  
"She won't be searching the globe…" at her pause the senshi all breathed a sigh of relief. "She will be searching in another dimension. I am merely here to show her the way…"  
  
TBC!!!!  
  
So where is this rare specimen located? What is this rare specimen? Why was Michiko so hesitant to send her daughter to this other dimension. It can't just be the danger could it…? Or is it something deeper than that…something that transcends right and wrong…find out in the next chapter.   
Oh, if you want me to include a little dictionary of the Japanese words I use in this fic, just let me know. The words I do use are fairly common and have been used in many fics. I have no problem making a list though. Just ask. Thanx!!!! 


	3. Chapter One: I Don't Think We're in Kans...

  
Above All, Exists Love  
  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or Gundam Wing.  
  
Key:  
  
"___": dialogue   
'___': thoughts   
~*~*~*~*~ : scene change  
  
  
AN: Hello again. I hope that this will be a long epic…again I hope. I am going to post this as I finish. So I apologize ahead of time if some chapters take longer than others to get out. If I get a chance, I will try to write more than one chapter, and start compiling a bunch to just pop out when I want…though with school and other things going on, I don't know how much of a reality that is.  
  
Oldestof3 brought up a good question. Why is the blood only deadly to those from Mercury and Venus? Well, Jupiter is strong; I feel that her blood (since it has electricity flowing through it) is also pretty strong. So I believe that she could have a stronger immune system, thus fight the virus better. Mars is a priestess and well ::shrugs:: is used to having to deal with foreign spirits and demons so I don't think it'd be that big of an issue. Moon is obviously protected by the ginzuishou and I think she could fight it off as well. Mamoru is human…thus it's only toxic to him. Mercury and Venus are the "weaker" fighters one's powers lying in the mind, the other the heart. So ::shrugs:: that's my reasoning…besides they all couldn't be effected…it would sound over-dramatic I think.  
  
Major Thanks To my Beta-reader Aivame! I couldn't do this without you! And of course I had to add the eggs, ::evil laugh:: I will keep in mind what you said about the Q and W triangle thing…sounds interesting…hehe. You got my wheels turning! ::smirk::  
  
  
Now for the Question/Answer/Comments from last chapter:  
  
  
**lalala:** Keep voting! Perhaps you will win the battle…  
  
**lina:** Thank you. I'm glad that you are enjoying this! Who knows…maybe Heero will be the victor (it sure seems like it's going to be, ne?)  
  
**jeorge:** lol…very interesting review. Glad you liked it…jeeze Heero seems to be very popular don'tcha think?  
  
**Minimerc:** Thank you for voting for DBZ too…I also posted this in that section if you would like to read that chapter one as well. (they are going to be different…obviously) I agree…why always take the whiny one? You and I know that they would fall apart without Ami-chan!!! Mercurians Rule!!! ^_^  
  
**Eternal Sailor Mercury:** ::blushes:: Thank you…really. You have no idea how much great reviews mean to me. He-chan really seems to be the winner as of now… Thanks for voting DBZ as well…I decided to post this under there as well. So, look for upcoming chapters in that story as well!  
  
**oldestof3:** Another Heero…I sense a trend coming on. As to why only Mercury and Venus are effected so gravely…I hope that I answered your question in the author's note.  
  
**Myst Lady:** Thank you ::blush:: Yup! Ninja scroll kicks ass! I also have Ninja Resurrection: The Revenge of Jubei and Ninja Resurrection: Hell's Spawn. Not as good and the original…but still not too bad.  
  
**Aivame:** Piccolo! I think I'll make it Duo ::evil grin:: Thanks for the original vote, Aivame dear…you know I won't listen to you any other way then voting ^_^ Chi!  
  
**D-chan:** I'm sorry that you feel that way. I think it was rather rude that you said that after reading only the authors notes and the prologue. I don't know if you actually read the authors notes or not…but in case you didn't…I don't pick who she is with. The readers do. I have no control over it. And just to let you know, I plan to do the pairing while keeping all of the characters in character. That's part of the challenge hence the challenge fic. As for originality, have you ever seen something like this done before? Where she is poisoned and has to travel elsewhere to get the cure? Much less has her _mother_ not father be the one to come back and help? Or hell even the door thing! No one uses doors, they all use portals, books, portals, and oh yea portals! I haven't, at least not one on ff.net. So to me, this is an original idea because _I've_ never seen another like it. If you have then, ::shrugs:: what can _I_ do about that? I hope that you continue to read this fic, even if feeling as you do about it. I hope that I can change your mind…  
  
  


~*~*~*~*~

  
  
Last Time:  
  
"You can't. Only she can. This is her mission alone."  
  
"But what of the monsters? How can she search the globe alone for this with them running around?" Makato asked crossing her arms over her chest.  
  
"She won't be searching the globe…" at her pause the senshi all breathed a sigh of relief. "She will be searching in another dimension. I am merely here to show her the way…"  
  


~*~*~*~*~

  
  
  
Chapter One: I Don't Think We're in Kansas Anymore Toto…  
  
  
"What?" all of the senshi screamed in unison. It was uncanny how their voices all raised to the same pitch and octave, while shouting the same word…scary if one thought about it for too long. Michiko simply smiled at the young girls.  
  
"Yes…her mission will take her into a world of which you have never dreamed."  
  
"But alone…" Usagi trailed off, her gaze turning to Ami. Michiko followed her gaze and looked at her daughter who was still sitting as stiff as a board.  
  
"I'm afraid so. I do not like it any more than you do. However, she will not be alone in this world. She will meet many new friends and allies." Michiko said with a hint of a smile on her face.  
  
"Senshi…you can trust her. She will not lead you astray." Luna spoke up quietly. Artimas nodded. Rei sighed.  
  
"Okay…what do you need us to do?"  
  
"Nothing. Just stand back and close your eyes." Michiko said. The senshi all looked at her then each other questioningly before doing as she asked. The formed a circle around the bed that their friend was on, and all closed their eyes. Michiko walked to her daughters side and grabbed her hands. She looked around and made sure that all the senshi's eyes were closed. "Concentrate on her having a safe journey. She will need your power."  
  
"Hai." They all said their eyebrows furrowing together in deep concentration. Each senshi began to glow in their respective colors. Usagi a bright silver, Rei a red, Makoto, a jade/green, Minako a bright orange, and Mamoru a navy blue. Michiko too closed her eyes and she began to glow as well. Her aura was the same color that was still surrounding her daughter.  
  
The light completely enveloped the senshi of ice and the other senshi had to cover their eyes from the bright flash that Ami emitted. When they opened their eyes again, she was gone, a slight wrinkle in the sheets the only sign that she had been there.  
  


~*~*~*~*~

  
  
_Where am I? I think to myself looking around the nearly pitch black room. The only light coming from under several large doors. What is this place?  
  
"This is the Hall of Time…much like the one that Pluto guards."  
  
"Who's there?" I call out to the voice.  
  
"The exception is that these doors lead to other realms whilst Pluto's are merely possibilities of yours." The voice answers instead. I don't understand! I think, frustrated at everything in general. Suddenly my stomach begins to clench together as if I had just been punched. I grab my stomach and sink to my knees.  
  
"The poison is strong in you, young one." The voice whispers. Poison?  
  
"Kaasan! My kaasan was there! She gave me this chance…at life." I trail off, still not quite sure of anything else.  
  
"Yes, it is time young one. You must choose the door, the door of your destiny, the door that will lead to your cure."  
  
"I have to choose? But how do I know which one?"  
  
"You know…trust your heart, it will not steer you off course."  
  
"I know?" I was beginning to panic. I hated to make decisions like this under this kind of pressure. My life, my entire universe's future depended on this decision. I couldn't think!  
  
"Then don't…" the voice trailed off, disappearing back into the darkness that surrounded me. Don't think? How could I not? I was the senshi of wisdom! My entire power revolved around the powers of the mind and logic! I'm not Usagi or Minako! I couldn't just trust my heart. I didn't have senses like Rei, and I didn't have a fighters instinct like Makoto…no, all I had was my brain. I could feel tears falling down my flushed cheeks.  
  
"I don't have a choice…" I whisper to myself, "I must choose." I stand upright and look around me; the doors all look the same to me. Not one stands out more than another does. There was a long hallway with several doors right next to one another. Further down the hall, it split into an east and west branch, with more doors lining that hallway. "Must be a maze of doors in here…" I mutter not too amused at my current predicament.  
  
I finally decide to just listen to my heart, my instincts. I mean all senshi…people have them, right? Well, I would find out. I close my eyes and twirl a few times in a circle. With my eyes still closed, I started walking, not stumbling once, to my shock. It felt as if my feet were not my own, that they had their own mind. They lead me to a door down the east wing; it was the second door on the left side of the east hall. I tried to look around, thinking about maybe choosing another door, but my body would not allow it, my hand slowly raised to the handle and turned the knob…_  
  
  


~*~*~*~*~

  
  
  
"I think she's waking up…" a calm voice told his comrades.  
  
"About time…" grunted the one in the back.  
  
"Wufei…come on, we don't know what happened to her, the least you could do is not insult her when she's unconscious." Quatre, the calm voice that had spoken earlier scolded. Wufei raised his right eyebrow in question.  
  
"We don't know who she is Winner. She could very well be a spy. I will treat the onna however I damn well please." Wufei grumbled back.  
  
"Wha...?" Came the groggy reply from the girl lying on the couch in Quatre's living room. "Where am I? Kaasan!" The girl shouted, jumping to a sitting position, her eyes scanning wildly around the room. Her breath was heavy at first, as if she had just run a ten-mile race. The boys all jerked back from her abrupt movement.  
  
"It's okay…you're safe here." Quatre said to the teen. "What's your name?" The girl was still blinking in wonderment. Slowly standing she stretched her sore limbs and fixed her eyes on each of the five gentlemen in the room.  
  
"Who are you?" she asked, her gaze lowering into a glare.  
  
"I am Quatre Rabba Winner." The blond boy said congenially. "This," he said pointed to a boy with a long braid standing behind the couch, "is Duo Maxwell. The guy to your left is Trowa Barton," the girl turned and saw that Trowa was tall, around six foot. He looked so lithe, like his body could bend in anyway; his hair was also an oddity. Half of his face was covered with his bangs. "The one holding the gun at you is Heero Yuy…don't mind him, he has trust issues." Here Quatre sweat-dropped. "Finally, the guy over there with the tight pony tail is Wufei Chang."  
  
"Who are you, babe?" Duo said smiling at her.  
  
"Mizuno Ami. Er…Ami Mizuno." She responded, blushing once she realized they were introduced the American way.  
  
"Are you from Japan?" Duo asked. Ami nodded. "Kewl! So is He-man!" Ami's eyebrows furrowed at Duo's reference to the gun wielding teen.  
  
"Maxwell…" Heero started. Duo eeped and hid behind the couch. Ami blinked a few times and then sat on the couch, taking everything in. The dimension that she was sent to was full of a bunch of knuckle-heads…great.  
  
"Who do you work for onna?" Wufei spoke up, stalking towards the teen. Ami crossed her right leg over her left, leaned back on the couch and crossed her arms.  
  
"What are you talking about?" she questioned. Heero took this opportunity to pipe in,  
  
"You heard him. Who sent you? What is your mission?" Externally, Ami made no signs that the questions were affecting her. However, inside she was shaking in her, dress? That's when she realized that she was still in her princess gown from Makoto's apartment.  
  
"Odd…" she mused aloud.  
  
"What's odd?" Quatre asked. She looked down at her clothing and then felt along her wrists to her neck, ears and finally head, searching for jewelry. Finding all of her normal princess accessories excluding the tiara, she shook her head.  
  
"Definitely odd…I swore that I was full hime in the room. But why would I stay in that form" she whispered to herself.  
  
"Pardon?" Quatre asked clearly confused. "Hime? I may not be fluent in Japanese, but doesn't that mean Princess?" It seemed that the guys had just now noticed her clothing as well.  
  
"This could be a kidnapping." Duo whispered to Trowa. The stotic boy said nothing but his eyes were calculating everything. "Think that there's a reward?" Trowa shook his head at Duo's question.  
  
"I wasn't kidnapped." Ami said quietly. Perhaps she should have gone with the kidnapping story…it was a hell of a lot more believable then the truth.  
  
"Then what happened?" Quatre asked. Ami shrugged.  
  
"I can't say. Please don't ask me anymore than that." She begged the boys around her. Wufei glowered at her.  
  
"Why should we trust you? How do we know that you don't work for OZ or some other organization?" Ami blinked in shock when Wufei said this.  
  
"Oz? Like the Wizard of Oz, Oz? With Dorothy…"  
  
"You know Dorothy?" Duo asked, walking from behind the couch to look at her.  
  
"…auntie Em, Toto and the whole gang?" Ami finished clearly confused.  
  
"Dorothy Catalonia is the daughter of the former OZ leader." Trowa said, speaking up for the first time.  
  
"Do you work for OZ?" Heero but in, his gun back out and threatening. Ami just sat on the couch blinking several times.  
  
"Oz just a man behind a screen. Emerald City…that's where he lives. He appears on the screen as giant head…just a scientist." She mumbled to herself. The boys all looked at her as if she had grown a second head.  
  
"What in the seven hells is she mumbling about?" Duo asked pointing his thumb at the insane girl.  
  
"I think her OZ is different from ours." Quatre concluded, his eyes never leaving the girl.  
  
"Gee, you think so Sherlock?" Duo mumbled shaking his head.  
  
"She may be suffering from post traumatic stress syndrome." Trowa reasoned.  
  
"But what stress?" Duo asked. "I mean obviously something knocked her unconscious…but what?" Ami still sat on the couch blinking. Quatre turned to the confused girl.  
  
"Would you like something to change into, Miss Ami?" Ami turned at the sound of his voice…  
  
"Oh no, I couldn't impose Winner-san. I guess I'll just be leaving then…" Ami moved to stand and five boys jumped up from their previous positions.  
  
"No, no wait. It's no trouble at all. This is my house, and my sisters often visit. Perhaps some of their clothes would fit you?" Quatre offered. Ami looked at the five suspiciously.  
  
"Why don't you want me to leave?"  
  
"It's just that we can't let a pretty lady like you go, not without the essentials." Duo said smiling what had to be the cheesiest smile in the history of cheesy smiles.  
  
"What kind of essentials…?" Ami asked still not certain on what was going on. Where exactly did she go? The place was definitely full of weirdoes, that of which she was certain.  
  
"You know…name, age, phone number, likes, dislikes, hobbies…favorite party…stuff like that." Duo rambled off. Ami raised her eyebrows, and glanced at each boy. Duo was still smiling, as was Quatre, only his was more nervous. Wufei looked pissed, although she assumed that he never looked anything else. Trowa's face remained stotic but she could see that his eyes were calculating her every expression. Heero looked…well she didn't know for sure but it was a look that Rei gave Usagi sometimes when Usa-chan would say something stupid. And right now, he was looking at Duo.  
  
"Okay…well I guess I'll stay then. Winner-san could you please direct me to those aforementioned clothes. I would be much obliged." Quatre blushed when she focused all her attention on him.  
  
"Please, Miss Ami. You can just call me Quatre." Ami shrugged.  
  
"Then just call me Ami." Quatre nodded, and motioned for her to follow him. As Ami left the room, trailing Quatre's form, she heard what sounded like a slap to the head and Duo's yelp of pain. Shaking her head she continued walking and figured that staying here with they crazies was probably better than going out into the world that bred these crazies, alone.  
  
  


~*~*~*~*~

  
  
  
"Who do you think she really was?" Duo asked once Ami and Quatre were out of hearing range.  
  
"I have no idea. But I don't like it." Wufei said lowering his eyes into a glare. "And I don't like how much you let slip Maxwell…" he trailed off, leaving the threat open. Duo gulped and ducked behind Heero.  
  
"You'll protect me right old buddy old pal of mine?" Duo said hanging onto the back of Heero's ever present green tank top. Heero rolled his eyes and escaped out of Duo's clutches. He sat down on the couch that Ami had been sitting on moments earlier and his eyebrows furrowed in thought.  
  
"She's hiding something…something big." Heero thought aloud.  
  
"I was thinking the same thing." Trowa said, also moving to sit on the couch. Wufei and Duo each sat on the two overstuffed chairs that accented the overstuffed couch and love seat. Quatre re-entered the living room about twenty minutes later. He took a seat on the couch next to Trowa, plenty of room between the three pilots. He laid his head back with a sigh.  
  
"Well?" Duo asked leaning forward in his chair, his elbows resting on his knees.  
  
"Well…after I took her upstairs, I led her to the east wing."  
  
"The guest wing." Trowa said quietly. Quatre nodded in affirmative.  
  
"Yes, then before I could even ask her to choose a room, she immediately walked to the first room on the left."  
  
"That gorgeous room done up in blues and teals?" Duo asked his head perking up a bit.  
  
"That's the one. Well she gasped and asked if she could stay in that room. I only nodded but I doubt that she saw, she was so mesmerized by the room itself. Well, I went to the bureau and it turns out that it was one of my sisters old rooms. Anyway, the clothes were a perfect fit for her. She changed into a pair of pajamas and is currently sleeping." Quatre finished.  
  
"Odd…" Trowa mumbled. Quatre nodded.  
  
"So…" Duo said with a smile, "Did you see her change?" Quatre blushed a bright tomato color and covered his face with his hands.  
  
"Dear heavens no…" Duo chuckled at the mortified boy.  
  
"Just had to ask."  
  
"How can that onna sleep after being unconscious for heavens knows how long?" Wufei mumbled. Everyone shrugged.  
  
"I don't know…well I'm going to go check on my baby…" Duo said raising from his spot on the seat. Everyone knew that his "baby" was none other then his gundam, Deathscythe Hell Custom. Heero nodded his head in agreement and also stood following Duo out of the room. The gundam pilots had been in a small battle with an unknown force earlier. That was when they had found Ami lying unconscious in the middle of the battle field. They were shocked that she had remained alive and intact throughout their entire battle, not a hair on her head harmed except that she had been what they thought was asleep at first. That's how peaceful she had looked.  
  
After the battle, and when the boys were able to check on her, they had discovered that she wasn't sleeping but that she was in fact unconscious. However, they could find no traces of head trauma or anything that would indicate to them how she was rendered cataleptic.  
  
"Do you think we should have Sally look at her?" Quatre asked the remaining pilots. Wufei who was also on his way out, turned and said,  
  
"Winner, I think she should be in a cell until we can ascertain who in the hell she is. But don't listen to me."  
  
"Wufei…" Quatre tried to reason with the hot-tempered young man, but he was already out the door, and on his way to the secret location of the gundams. Trowa placed his hand on Quatre's shoulder. Quatre turned to his friend. "I don't know what to do with them sometimes…" he trailed off, the comment having no need to be finished. Trowa nodded and stood up.  
  
"I am going to get some rest. You should as well." Quatre sighed and nodded again.  
  
"Yes…I think I'll do just that. I still think that I should call Sally."  
  
"Wait until morning. If she is still feeling under the weather, then call." Trowa reasoned.  
  
"I guess that works. Well goodnight then." Quatre said moving towards his room further down the south wing. Trowa nodded in reply and opened the door to his room, the first room in the south wing.  
  
  


~*~*~*~*~

  
  
  
The next morning was a bright and shinny one, the kind of morning that is described only in stories. Ami stretched and yawned. It took her a moment or two for her eyes to adjust to the bright light that was shining in through her window, and for her mind to wake up. However, once she did, she jolted upright and stared at her surroundings with wide eyes. She had totally forgotten that she was in a different dimension!  
  
"And that I'm infected with that youma's poison." She said grabbing her stomach in pain. Closing her eyes in concentration, she called upon her powers as a senshi to try to slow the progression of the poison as her mother and friends had done back home. Finally getting it under control, she decided that she needed to hurry and find the mysterious plant and fast. She only hoped that she was in the right world. Her friends and her earth were counting on her.  
  
Climbing out of the warm bed, she made her way over to the bureau that held her pajamas from the night before. Searching through several drawers, she finally decided to wear a long, ankle length, kakki skirt and a blue peasant top with a floral print. Grabbing some undergarments, she made her way to the bathroom that Quatre had pointed out the day before.  
  
After her shower, she towel tried her hair, then combed the unruly mess into a neat style. Changing into the outfit she had picked out, she then deposited her pajamas into the hamper what was in the bathroom. Quickly making her bed, she headed down stairs to search for the kitchen so that her stomach would stop growling.  
  
After searching for about five minutes, she finally found the kitchen. No one was in there at the moment, so a shrugging Ami made her way to the large refrigerator. Deciding to go ahead and make breakfast for the others, she pulled out enough eggs, milk, and butter for a large amount of food. She wasn't sure how much guys ate, but she was sure that they would be hungry. Looking around for the supplies, she found that they were rather easy to find.  
  
"Man, Makoto-chan sure would love this place." She said, getting to work on mixing the pancake batter. Once the batter was mixed she began cracking several eggs over the hot skillet. She may not have been Mako-chan when it came to cooking, but she wasn't half bad either. Makoto had taught her a lot, and Ami was a good student. Whipping up several types of eggs, from scrambled to poached to sunny side up, Ami placed the eggs on large plates. Once all sixty pancakes were made, she began to rethink how much food she would need. Taking the bacon and sausage out of the oven, she placed all of the plates on a large serving tray and left with several dinning plates and silverware to find the dinning room.  
  
When she turned around the corner, she nearly bumped into another body. Fortunately, they had deftly moved at the last second. Ami looked up, startled at her almost run in.  
  
"Gomen, I wasn't watching were I was going."  
  
"It's okay. What are you doing up so early." Trowa, the person that almost collided with her asked.  
  
"Well, I when I woke up I was hungry, so I went searching for the kitchen. Once I was there, I decided to make breakfast for everyone. I just finished and was on my way to find the dinning room so I could set things up." She answered with a blush, afraid that she had done something wrong.  
  
"You didn't have to do that. Quatre has servants you know." Trowa said.  
  
"Gomen…" Ami said blushing further.  
  
"But," Trowa said, "But, I'm sure that Duo will be happy. He always did complain about Gretchin's breakfast. Here…I'll take the plates, for you."  
  
"Thanks, I'll run back and get the food." Ami said smiling.  
  
"I could get the food if you like." Trowa offered.  
  
"Iie, that's okay. I can get it. I'll be right back." Ami said rushing off back towards the kitchen. She returned about five minutes later, a tray balanced in her right hand. "I'm back, if you would kindly show me the way." Trowa nodded and turned heading back the way he had come. After a few more minutes of walking, they arrived at the dinning room. When Ami entered, she gasped at the beauty of the room.  
  
"Wow, what an elegant room." She whispered. Trowa shrugged and nodded.  
  
"We're used to it by now."  
  
"It's almost like what I imagine that the dinning room in Crystal Tokyo will look like." She whispered more to herself.  
  
"Crystal Tokyo?" Trowa questioned.  
  
"Hm? Oh, never mind." Ami said mentally kicking herself for letting so much slip. She was supposed to be the smart one after all. "Why don't you go and wake the others before this gets cold, and I'll set the table?" Ami suggested. Trowa raised an eyebrow but nodded. Once Trowa was out of the room, Ami fell into a dinning room chair. "Phew…that was close." She whispered to herself. Shaking her head, she stood and began to set the table, never noticing the pair of eyes that narrowed at her admission, or watched her every move with a cool and calculating scrutiny.  
  
  
TBC!  
  
So, what do you think? Who does the mysterious eyes belong to? Will Ami ever tell them the truth? And can she find the illusive cure in this dimension?  
  
  
If any of you would like to be on the mailing list for this fic, and have me e-mail you when this is updated let me know in your review. Leave your e-mail address that you would like it sent to, or e-mail me at Anime22DBZ@aol.com, and request it there. Thanks. 


	4. Chapter Two: Explanations and Decisions

  
Above All, Exists Love  
  
  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing or Sailor Moon. Simple and clean…it's the way to be… ::lawyers begin running after Kaiya:: SORRY! I don't own that song either…it belongs to the Kingdom Hearts peeps…::glares at lawyers:: Happy now? You disclaimer Nazi's!  
  
  
Key:  
  
"___": dialogue   
'___' : thoughts   
~*~*~*~*~ : scene change  
  
  
AN: Hello again! It's update time again! I would like to send a warm thank you to Sailor Angel! She really helped me to iron through some wrinkles in this chapter, and helped me break the dam before it began to get out of control! THANKS!  
  
  
Comments/Questions/Answers:  
  
**Michelle Ann:** I dunno, I have them, and they have the same character, but they don't really have that much to do with each other or the original. So, ::shrugs:: who knows? Thanks for the flamers advice. Yes, people to tend to forget that sometimes. They also tend to forget that this is a fiction site. But oh well, what can you do? Thanks for the review and vote!  
  
**Sailor Angel:** Yes, a non-confusing review…was that hard for you Angel-dear? I hope that it wasn't. Thanks for the vote and the review!  
  
**orion:** I think that the triangle will be fun to write…if it wins. Who knows? Thanks for the vote and review!  
  
**Cassie-bear01:** Well, the triangle doesn't mean that she will love two guys…but that two guys will love her, that's how mine will go anyway. But your vote is dully noted! Thanks! Keep reading, reviewing and voting!  
  
**oldestof3:**Thanks for your vote and review! If there is a triangle, I really have no idea who the two guys are going to be…as of now it looks like Heero will be one of them, I guess we'll have to wait and see.  
  
**SweetAngels3:** Me too, I didn't see enough Ami-chan centered fics in here, so I decided to do something about it. I think a triangle would spice up a few things too, hehe. Well thanks for the vote and review!  
  
**NickeyWhite2:** Keep voting, Heero may just be the winner.  
  
**Minimerc:** Well, you are on the mailing list! I just put your e-mail address on there. I really appreciate your praise. ^_^ Thanks for the review! Keep reading!  
  
**Sphinxqueen127:** Thanks for the reviews! LOL, okay I'll count your vote as Wufei. You can vote for more than one…I will accept that as well if you still want Milliardo! ^_^   
  
**cd:** Thanks for voting!  
  
**mistme:** Thanks for your opinion and the review!  
  
**nicole:** Thanks! And your vote has been noted!  
  
**Cataine:** Yes…I've noticed that as well. It's almost as if they authors aren't even trying anymore…glad to hear that you think mine isn't one of those stories! Thanks for reviewing and voting! I love the original vote as well!  
  
**Mistress of Ice:** Thanks for your review and vote! It's always great to talk to fans such as yourself! Thanks again!  
  
  


~*~*~*~*~

  
  
Last Time:  
  
"Crystal Tokyo?" Trowa questioned.  
  
"Hm? Oh, never mind." Ami said mentally kicking herself for letting so much slip. She was supposed to be the smart one after all. "Why don't you go and wake the others before this gets cold, and I'll set the table?" Ami suggested. Trowa raised an eyebrow but nodded. Once Trowa was out of the room, Ami fell into a dinning room chair. "Phew…that was close." She whispered to herself. Shaking her head, she stood and began to set the table, never noticing the pair of eyes that narrowed at her admission, or watched her every move with a cool and calculating scrutiny.  
  


~*~*~*~*~

  
  
  
Chapter Two: Explanations and Decisions  
  
  
Ami had never imagined that someone's eyes could go as far out of their sockets as the braided boy's currently were, without falling out. However, Duo's reaction to the immense amount of delicious smelling food quickly changed her theory on that. He looked like a kid in a candy store, to quote the old adage.  
  
"This…is all for me?" Duo asked his jaw still practically touching the ground. Ami laughed, her voice ringing in the silent dinning room.  
  
"Iie, I mean no…I made this for everyone." Ami said blushing. "It's not that great. I'm no where near as good a cook as…a friend." Ami finished lowering her eyes. Everyone but Duo raised their eyebrows at her depressed tone of voice, Duo who was too busy drooling to be sympathetic gave a simple,  
  
"That's nice." Before bolting over to the table to seat himself for the mini-feast that the guest had prepared. The guys and Ami all sweatdropped at Duo's childish behavior. Ami shook her head before moving her hand in a motion that indicate they be seated.  
  
"Well, no use standing around while all of this food gets cold. Please." Ami said with a forced smile. The boys could put up no further arguments with the combination of the wonderful smelling food and their rumbling, empty, stomachs. Breakfast was devoured in record time. Duo sat back patting his bloated stomach.  
  
"Man, babe that was some good food!" Duo said winking at her. Ami blushed scarlet,  
  
"Thank you, Maxwell-san." Ami responded politely.  
  
"Please, just call me Duo, babe." He said reaching across the table and kissing her hand. Ami's blush turned redder and darker, if that were possible. Wufei clipped Duo on the back of his head,  
  
"Maxwell, leave the onna alone and stop embarrassing her." He said rolling his eyes. Duo rubbed the back of his head, even though it didn't really hurt that much.  
  
"Aw, Wu-man don't be like that!" Wufei began to boil with anger.  
  
"What have I told you about calling me Wu-man?" he grit out through his teeth. Duo blinked,  
  
"Don't call you Wu-man, right Wu-man?" Wufei rolled his eyes, and smacked Duo again. Duo made an epping noise before pouting. "You'll help me out right babe?" he asked addressing Ami. Ami raised her left eyebrow.  
  
"Look, Maxwell-san…Duo," Ami amended at his pointed look, "Duo, I really don't see with what grounds you could form a decent argument. Chang-san obviously doesn't want you to call him by that name, so your asking me to tell him that it's okay to call him something that he doesn't want to be called, is against both my moral and intelligent conscience. I apologize that that wasn't the answer that you wanted to hear, but there is nothing that I can do about that." Ami finished. The boys all blinked at her, twice.  
  
"Could you translate that into English?" Duo asked still blinking. Ami rolled her eyes.  
  
"Don't call Chang-san Wu-man."  
  
"Oh! Why didn't you just say that in the first place?" he said with a chuckle. Ami rolled her eyes again.  
  
"I did, it's not my fault if you are too slow on the uptake." She said rising, and beginning to clear the table. The other four boys all began to laugh at Duo's confused and scarlet face. Ami was stopped from her chore, when Trowa, who was sitting next to her, grabbed her wrist.  
  
"Quatre has servants for that." Ami shrugged in response.  
  
"Yes, but why should I make someone else clean up my messes? I am perfectly capable of getting along without servants or guards…contrary to mother's opinions." Ami said her mind flashing back to the days when she was nothing but a sheltered princess in a time of peace.  
  
"What?" Quatre asked.  
  
"Explain yourself." Heero said lowering his eyes.  
  
"Does this have anything to do with Crystal Tokyo?" Wufei asked. Ami almost dropped the plates at Wufei's comment.  
  
"How did you…?" she started.  
  
"I overheard you. I was on my way back from early mediation, when I saw you and Barton in here talking."  
  
"So you decided to eavesdrop? Is that it?" Ami asked, the hurt clear on her face. Wufei rose from his seat.  
  
"No, that's not it. I didn't even want you to be here in the first place. I don't trust you. If I had my way, you'd be in cell right now, until we could be sure that you weren't a threat to us." he sneered. Ami's eyes widened.  
  
"What are you talking about? How could I be a threat to you?" Quatre sighed before motioning that she follow him.  
  
"Let's talk in the living room, I'll have someone come clean this up." He offered. Ami shook her head.  
  
"No, I'm not giving any of you time to get your stories together, or to agree about what to tell me. I want the truth and I want it now. Otherwise I'm walking out, right here and right now." Ami knew it was a hallow threat. She needed them. Okay…maybe not needed, but she certainly wanted their help. It was just so hard to open herself to others and she certainly wasn't going to be open if they weren't. Her mind choice to ignore the hypocrisy in that statement.  
  
The boys who weren't currently sitting, sat down with a sigh. Quatre, the "spokesmen" of the group, began to explain.  
  
"We're the gundam pilots…" he started with another sigh, ignoring both Wufei and Heero's angry expressions. Ami's eyes furrowed together in confusion.  
  
"What's a gundam?" She asked. Five heads whipped to her in shock.  
  
"You mean you've never heard of the gundams?" Duo asked stunned. Ami shook her head slowly,  
  
"No, I've never heard of them."  
  
"How is that possible?" Wufei questioned. "Unless you've lived under a rock for the past six years, you at least know of OZ and the alliance." Ami blinked.  
  
"I'm sorry, I really don't know what you're talking about. I've never heard of OZ or the alliance."  
  
"But then, we've never heard of Crystal Tokyo either." Heero said, his hand sliding to rest on the hilt of his gun. Ami sighed.  
  
"I think I can explain…"  
  
"You better start." Wufei thundered, raising his katana to be level with her throat.  
  
"I'm from a different dimension…" Ami started slowly, seemingly ignoring the blade that was centimeters from her jugular.  
  
"What?" Duo asked, standing up so quickly that his chair flew back. Ami nodded.  
  
"I'm a senshi from another dimension, I was sent here because I was wounded in battle, and the youma that my friends and I were fighting, poisoned me with its blood. According to several reliable sources, the only antidote is here, in this dimension. So I was sent alone, to find it."  
  
"What is it?" Quatre asked, his voice filled with concern for the young girl. Ami shrugged.  
  
"I have no idea. All I know is that it is a flower/plant and 'as soon as you see it, you will recognize it as the saver of souls and the giver of life.' " Ami said quoting what her mother had told her in her dreams.  
  
"I don't believe that you are a warrior." Wufei said pressing his blade closer. Ami rolled her eyes.  
  
"Would you like a demonstration then?" she asked. Duo nodded enthusiastically,  
  
"Yea! That's be so cool!" Ami smiled.  
  
"Yes, cool…good idea." With that, she touched the tip of Wufei's threatening blade with her finger, and ice started to form. It slowly began to move up the blade until Wufei's hand was frozen onto the handle. "Would you like me to continue up your arm?" she asked glowering at the boy in front of her.  
  
"Release him." Heero said, pressing the tip of the gun to her temple.  
  
"Kill me and I freeze him, and he will never, I repeat, _ever_ be a living, breathing source of heat again."  
  
"Put it down, Yuy." Wufei said glaring at Ami. "Release me." Ami nodded and the ice seemed to vanish as if by magic. Wufei immediately replaced the sword to its rightful location and began to rub his hands together, trying to warm the frozen one up.  
  
"That was awesome!" Duo said jumping up and down, his braid flying behind him. "Wu-man got his ass frozen!"  
  
"How in the hell did you do that?" Heero asked, his gun again raised to Ami's head. Ami sighed and sat down, ignoring the gun.  
  
"Magic. All the senshi from my dimension are magic wielders of a sort. Elemental senshi if you will. I am the senshi of Mercury, wisdom and ice. I can control ice and water, and all of my attacks are water based." Ami explained softly.  
  
"How many senshi are there?" Quatre asked. Ami shrugged.  
  
"As of now, there are seven counting Tuxedo Kamen. However, according to Sailor Pluto there are more. She's the newest senshi we met. She is the guardian of time and space, and is as old as time itself. She guards the time gate from potential enemies and keeps things in as much of an order as she can. Kino Makoto is the senshi from Jupiter, the planet of strength and protection, her elements are lightening and thunder. Hino Rei, is the senshi from Mars, the planet of war and prophecy. She controls the element of fire, and can read the fires at her shrine, to tell a version of the future. Aino Minako, is the senshi from Venus, the planet of love and beauty. She controls the power of love and the strength of heart. And finally our leader, and princess, Tsukino Usagi, the senshi of the moon, holder and protector of the ginzuishou."  
  
"But what does any of that have to do with Crystal Tokyo?" Heero asked, lowering his eyes into a glare.  
  
"Well, you see, we already know what our future holds for us. Sometime during the thirtieth century, the entire world will freeze over. Usagi-hime, and the rest of us, will all be frozen, encased for an untold amount of time. When the ginzuishou, deems that it is time, we will all re-awaken, immortal, and protectors of Crystal Tokyo, where we will guard Neo-Queen Serenity and her betrothed, Neo-King Endymon and their future daughter Chibi-Usa. Who we've already met by the way." When Ami finished all five guys sat around the table in various stages of shock.  
  
"Wow…I've never heard of anything like that before." Duo barely whispered.  
  
"Well, I've never heard of the gundams…and I still don't know what they are." Ami urged the boys still staring at her.  
  
"I think the best explanation would be a demonstration as well." Quatre said breaking out of his shocked stupor. "If you'll follow me, I'll show you the bane of our existence for the past six years or more." He said standing and walking out of the room, assuming that the others would follow. He was correct; Ami was right on his heels, anxious to see what this world's technology had to offer. She was not disappointed. When Quatre led them to a hidden door behind the wall the held a bookcase, Ami's mind drifted to all of those spy novels that she had read. Contrary to her friends' beliefs, she didn't only read textbooks. She was a very avid fan of spy novels, murder mysteries and even romance novels. Once he had typed in the complicated code, which she was not allowed to see, the metal door behind the wall opened with a 'swish'.  
  
The boys led her down a winding staircase that was barely lit, and was quite damp. Whatever she was expecting at the end of the stairs, it was not what she saw. Instead of a dreary, dank cave, as she had expected from the sordid staircase, she was introduced to another metal door. Through that door, there was a room that was entirely made of metal. Looking up, Ami could not even fathom how far the ceiling reached. The reason for the high roof was soon made clear when she spotted the five large mechas standing tall and proud before her. The sounds of a running drill and some other mechanical tools filled her ears; however the sight before her eyes overloaded her senses, drowning out any and all other senses.  
  
"I've never…I mean, I could never imagine that technology could create this." Ami whispered breathlessly. Duo beamed.  
  
"Yup, these are our babies." He said proudly staring at the mecha with large black folded wings. "That one," he said indicated the one he had been looking at, "Is mine. Deathscythe…Hell Custom if you want to be specific." Ami blinked.  
  
"You named your machine?" Duo nodded.  
  
"They all have names. That one," he said pointing to a red mecha, "Is Trowa's named Heavyarms because it carries so much weaponry. That one," he explained pointing to the mecha next to Trowa's, "Is Quatre's, entitled Sandrock. The one next to his is Altron which belongs to Wufei, and that last one way down there is Heero's, or Wing Zero." Ami nodded, still too stunned to do anything else.  
  
"Are you guys…rebels or something?" she asked.  
  
"No, we are the protectors of the colonies and earth. We work with the Preventers to stop wars and coup de ta's." Quatre explained. Ami nodded,  
  
"I see, okay…" she paused seemingly just processing what he said. "There are colonies?"  
  
"Yes, there have been colonies for over 190 years now." Trowa said.  
  
"Yes…well I guess that isn't too absurd considering in my dimension people lived on uninhabitable locations for millennia…"  
  
"Such as?" Heero prodded.  
  
"The moon, Mercury, Venus…need I continue?" she asked pointedly. Heero narrowed his eyes at her. Duo moved between the two glaring teens.  
  
"Guys…babes, chill out here. Let's not spill any blood today." He said mainly looking at Heero. Heero just grunted and turned on his heel, leaving the group and heading towards his gundam.  
  
"Insensitive jerk." Ami grumbled under her breath. Duo sweatdropped.  
  
"Uh, what do you say, we get some food?" He asked trying to lighten the mood. Ami face faulted.  
  
"Duo, you just finished eating!" she said in disbelief. Even Usagi wasn't this bad…okay so maybe she was on occasion. But still, he _did_ just consume more food than she'd ever seen Usagi eat in one meal. Duo pouted outwardly, however inwardly he was smiling one of his famed hundred watt smiles; his mission was a success.  
  
"I know, but I'm hungry. Feed me!" He said grabbing his stomach dramatically and sinking to his knees at Ami's feet. Ami rolled her eyes, and laughed.  
  
"You want food, you can feed yourself!" Ami said shaking her head and departing toward the door that she had entered in. Wufei stood straight up.  
  
"Where do you think you are going onna?" he asked. Ami paused, but did not turn.  
  
"I am going somewhere to think. Or do I need to ask permission first?" she whispered, her voice pained.  
  
"No, it's fine, you can go where ever you would like." Quatre said politely.  
  
"As long as it's in the house, onna." Wufei added narrowing his eyes at the girl whom he still did not trust. There was something about her, and it wasn't just the fact that she was a senshi from another dimension. He felt, odd around her, and he didn't like it, not one bit.  
  
"Yes master." The girl said flippantly. Ami shook her head. Seriously, where did he get off telling her what she could or couldn't do. He aggravated her to no end sometimes…wait all the time. Him and Heero both. "Always with the questioning and glaring and ugh!" She growled to herself. Shaking her head of all of those thoughts, she headed up to what had become "her room". Or at least it was while she was here. Closing the door behind her she moved to her bed and sat down cross-legged, hugging a stuffed bear that was sitting on the bed. It obviously belonged to whichever one of Quatre's sisters that had this room before her, and wasn't important enough for her to take it with her.  
  
"Unless…" Ami thought aloud. Could she have died? Was that why there was a whole wardrobe filled with clothing? "No." she said, "I can't think like that." Thinking of family only caused her thoughts to drift to her own mother that she left behind. And her friends, who might as well have been her family. "What am I going to do?" her voice came out choked as she buried her head in the stuffed bear.  
  
"They're in a middle of a war as well. I can't ask them to stop what they are doing and help me. I need to do this by myself. I can find this plant, it shouldn't be too hard right?" Ami questioned the bear. However, the bear only continued to smile his lopsided grin at her, his marble eyes shining in the light. "Stupid me, talking to a dumb bear…" she whispered, again bringing the bear to her chest.  
  
'I can do this…I'm a senshi for Serenity's sake! I can find some stupid plant…I'm Sailor Mercury! I'm always the one to find the weaknesses in our enemies. I'm known for my brains…surely the smartest senshi can track down some plant that can either save or destroy the world, and my dimension as I know it. Surely, I can handle this pressure, because I'm a senshi!' Ami's thoughts were running rampant, switching from optimistic to pure torturous pressure.  
  
"That's it!" she exclaimed, jumping up and in her haste, dropping the bear unceremoniously to the hardwood floor. He landed face up, his right arm over his chest, his eyes blank, yet seeming to stare into her soul. Ami ignored the creepy bear, too happy with her discovery. "I can use my Mercury computer to trace the plant. All I need is to input a few calculations and calibrations…and it should work!" Ami did her own version of a victory dance before reaching into her sub-space pocket and pulling out her computer. She would have to check the calibrations on her visor, once she transformed. Walking over to a desk that was in the room, she began to type, her fingers flying over the keys at a dizzying pace. After nearly three hours of tedious codes and numbers, Ami finally pulled back from her computer, twisting in her chair, causing her back to creak in protest. Stretching the kinks and knots out of her back and neck, she cracked her knuckles and scanned over what she had just typed.  
  
"Now, to confirm it." She said, smiling a proud smile. She really was happy that she was the smart one. She had no idea what Usagi would do if it were her that needed to find the plant. "Then again…she'd probably just use her heart, and she would have had it done already." Ami said, her smile turning into a tight-lipped frown. Shaking her head and blinking, she tried to shake the demons out of her head. "I can't think like that, I can't think like that, I can't think like that…" she said repeatedly, like her own mantra. Holding her hand up in the air, she called on her power.  
  
"_Mercury Power Make-up!_" She screamed, a bright blue light enveloped her, filling her inside and out. Her soul felt the coolness of her aura, it was like a warm friend that had been missing for months. And it had been months since she had last transformed. She missed the rush, the feeling of comfort and power. The adrenaline rushing to her brain and all her other extremities. It was the most exhilarating thing she had ever felt. Once her transformation was complete, she stood in her fuku.  
  
She immediately pressed her earring that would release the visor over her eyes. Once the visor was securely in place, she began typing furiously on her mini-computer, the numbers flying across her eyes. Her smile that had begun to form on her face, widened into a full-blown grin. She began to do her victory dance again.  
  
"I did it! Yes!" she said laughing, the tears rolling down her face. Now she could save herself, her world and not get the boys involved. If they were so worried about her getting them caught, well, then she would just leave and save them the trouble. She knew a little, but she was guessing that it was more than most people. 'However', she thought with a shrug, 'it's not like I know who to tell the information to or not, so I'll just not tell anyone. I should be safe that way.' She surmised.  
  
De-transforming, she put her mini-computer back into her sub-space pocket. Walking over to the large, walk in closet, she searched the shelves for a bag, or something that she could travel with. Finding a nice sized backpack, she began to fill it with several of the clothes and items that were in the closet. She also added a hairbrush, and some other toiletries. Setting out a change of clothes, Ami placed a pair of tight fitting black pants, and a blue tank top on a chair in her room. Placing a dark blue hoodie, with a dragon surrounded by flames on it, on top of the clothes, she hid the pack in the closet. Leaving the room, she headed downstairs, so as not to arouse any suspicion in the boys. She would leave that night, when they were all asleep.  
  
  


~*~*~*~*~

  
  
  
"I miss her…" Usagi said sniffling. The senshi were all sitting in Makoto's apartment, the exact room from whence Ami had departed. Ami's mother, Michiko, had long since left, there only long enough to send Ami away. Mamoru had left shortly after her to go to class, and Rei had just said her good-byes, she had to finish her duties at the Shrine.  
  
"But Rei-chan just left?" Minako said blinking. Makoto hit her on the back of her head lightly,  
  
"Ami-chan, you dunce." Mina sweatdropped.  
  
"Oh, right, I knew that!" She said. "Gomen, Usa-chan." A bowing Mina said dejectedly. Usagi shook her head, her blond pigtails flying from behind her back, to rest on her shoulders.  
  
"Iie, don't worry about it, Mina-chan. I know that our Ami-chan will do wonderfully. She'll get the cure, and come back home, and it will be like she never left." Usagi said, her face straightening, a determined look crossing her eyes. Mako sighed.  
  
"I sure hope that you are right, Usa-chan. We need her now, more than ever before."  
  
"We can't avoid school any longer guys…" Mina said sadly.  
  
"I know…we go back tomorrow." Mako said nodding miserably. Usagi blanched.  
  
"School? Iie! We can't!" Mako was about to open her mouth and scold her, when a voice interrupted her.  
  
"Usagi's right about this one."  
  
"Luna?" Mina asked. "I never thought I'd live to see the day when you dejected yourself!" Everyone face faulted.  
  
"It's _rejected_ my own beliefs, Mina…and no I haven't. I have always done what is best for both Tokyo and your futures. You girls need to focus on the enemy at hand. You need to plan, and strategize, and defeat them. You don't have time for school." Luna said bowing her head.  
  
"But that means our identities…" a voice said from the hallway. All the girls' whipped their heads up.  
  
"Rei-chan?" Usagi asked blinking, "What are you doing here?"  
  
"Thanks for the welcome Odango Atama…and I forgot my purse." She said stooping to pick up the aforementioned article.  
  
"Is she right Luna?" Mako asked, blanching.  
  
"Hai…your identities are in danger as well. However, I feel that Tokyo and the future are much more important than your social lives." Luna said. Mako blinked.  
  
"That's easy for you to say! You're a cat!" She hissed, standing up and walking out of the room. The remaining girls and Luna all looked in the direction that she had stormed out, in shock.  
  
"What's wrong with her?" Luna asked, blinking. Mina sighed.  
  
"She's in love…her old sempai, Kenji is in town, and he just transferred to her school. He arrived a few days ago, and they have a 'date' planned for the some night coming up, to catch up. If her true self is revealed, it could be disastrous to their blooming relationship." Mina explained.  
  
"How is it that you know all of this, and I don't? Yet I go to the same school at her?" Usagi whined. Mina smiled.  
  
"That's easy, I'm not the senshi of love for nothing." She said, posing in her Sailor V stance. Rei and Luna sweatdropped.  
  
"Mina-chan…I swear, sometimes I have no idea what to do with you." Rei said rubbing her temples, trying to ward of the oncoming migraine. Mina just chuckled. "Come on then, let's try and do some damage control here." Rei said moving towards the kitchen where they could hear some pots and pans clanking. Once the three girls left the room, a white cat emerged from under the bed.  
  
"Do you think they can do it Luna?" the white cat asked. Luna shook her head,  
  
"I don't know, Artimas, all I know is that we need Ami-chan…and fast."  
  
  


~*~*~*~*~

  
  
  
TBC!!  
  
I tell you what…if I _ever_ see another shovel in my life, it will be too soon! 28 inches of snow!!!!! It gets pretty heavy after awhile…my poor arms! Oh well, so what did you think of the chapter? Will Ami make it out without anyone noticing? Will the senshi manage to stay together and alive? Remember to vote!!! Don't forget about the triangle vote, as well.  
  



	5. Chapter Three: Missing

  
Above All, Exists Love  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon or Gundam Wing. Although...if I did, then I would make Ami have wicked cool powers, and I would have Usagi and Mamoru go lock themselves in a castle together and I would keep Heero locked up in my room...::wonders off rambling about all the wonderious things she could do if she owned either series::  
  
Key:  
  
"___": dialogue   
'___': thoughts   
~*~*~*~*~ : scene change  
  
  
AN: Kamali is an Arabic name that means Spirit guide/protector. Just to let you know. You'll see when he comes in when you read the story. All names have meaning in my fics and are chosen for a reason, even extras! ^_^ I humbly apologize for taking so long in getting this out. I've been swamped with school work and other things, that I haven't had much time to work on my fics. Thanks for being so patient and keeping up with the wonderful reviews! They encourage me to work faster! ~_^  
  
Thanks to Angel and Aivame for helping with this chapter!   
Comments/Questions/Answers:  
  
  
**koori kazino:** Thanks for the vote!  
  
**kate:** Thanks…I'll count that as a vote for triangle…and a vote for all three of those guys, unless you say otherwise! ^_^  
  
**Minimerc:** Lol, yes, shovels are quite evil. When I imagine the devil, he isn't holding a pitchfork…but a shovel! Thanks for the review and vote! Read and see just who if anyone follows our dear Ami-chan! Thanks again!  
  
**Sphinxqueen127:** Yes…picking the perfect couple is always the tough decision. (that's part of the reason why I'm letting ya'll do it for me! ^_^) Thanks for your review and vote!  
  
**Sweetangels3:** Thanks! For the review and the vote! My friend may fight Ami for Duo if he wins though…^_^.  
  
**NickeyWhite2:** lol, good to know that you feel so strong about this! Keep reading and reviewing.  
  
**kristina:** Thanks for the review and vote! We'll just have to wait and see who wins…Trowa may be in it yet!  
  
**Michelle Ann Myst Lady:** No problem reading your fic. I just reviewed it…I could have sworn that I had reviewed it already…gomen! And don't sweat it, everyone makes mistakes, myself included. Thanks for you review and vote! And the compliment! THANKS!  
  
**Mogui:** Thanks for the review and vote! LOL! I can see it too! A chapter long glaring contest! Oh boy would I get flamed! lol!  
  
**mizt:** Thanks for the review and vote!  
  
**Princess Mercury:** Well, the majority is certainly leaning in that direction…and I just added your e-mail address! Thanks for the review and vote!  
  
  


~*~*~*~*~

  
  
Last Time (summary):  
  
Ami decides to go in search of the mysterious plant on her own…planning to leave once everyone is asleep. The senshi back home, realize that they need Ami now more then ever, and their friendship is straining. Hurt emotions, and desperate pleas…where is Ami-chan?  
  


~*~*~*~*~

  
  
  
Chapter Three: Missing  
  
  
Rolling over, Ami glanced at the digital clock that illuminated her room, with an eerie red glow. Checking and double checking to make sure that it actually did read 12:05 a.m. she stood and stretched, not that her body had been relaxed or sleeping. She had been practically staring at the clock since she came up to bed two hours ago.  
  
Deciding that it was time to leave, she quietly walked over to the chair and changed into the clothing that she had laid out earlier. Walking to the closet she grabbed the pack and slipped it over her shoulder. She had added some food and water bottles to it that night after coming up to bed. Not bothering to make her bed, for she was far too nervous, she slowly opened the door to her bedroom and peeked her head out. Once she was sure that the hallway was clear, she warily left her room, and shut the door quietly behind her.  
  
As Ami was stalking as silently as she could through the hallway, her feet not making a sound on the plush carpets that covered the oak floors of the east wing, her heart was racing, pounding almost painfully in her chest. The carpets were antique looking, spun from the richest of fabrics, and the most beautifully crafted design running along its' length. However, Ami would not have noticed if it were eggshells that she were walking on, that's how much attention was being paid to the floor coverings. She was too busy sneaking out of the large, empty and eerily echoy hallway.  
  
Having always been the "good girl" and the respectable lady, she was not used to slinking around or hiding what she was doing. Concentrating on her breathing, she was creeping along the hall, heading towards the stairs. Grabbing the railing, she slowly made her way down the dark stairs, with the only light being the moonlight shinning in from the stained glass windows that towered over her small height. Once she reached the bottom she let out a breath that she didn't know that she was holding.  
  
Walking a bit faster now, she headed towards the large oak door with the light blue glass panes. Opening the door, she hesitantly looked back into the dark expanse of Quatre's living room, and the shadowy stairs that she had just descended. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes, trying to convince herself that what she was doing _was_ the right thing.  
  
"It has to be…" she said tears starting to well up in her ocean blue eyes, "I've already ruined one dimensions peace with my weakness, I will not interfere with their peace efforts." She whispered, closing her eyes tightly, allowing a few tears to escape from her securely closed lids. "I'm sorry…" she whispered before closing the door behind her and starting the slow trudge towards her destiny.  
  
As soon as she closed the door, a shadow stepped out of the library, his eyes narrowed in suspicion. Another shadow walked out a few minutes later.  
  
"What's wrong?" The second shadow asked once he saw the suspicious yet concerned look on his leader's face. Rashid turned to his comrade.  
  
"I don't trust her." He said quietly. The Maganac opened his mouth into an 'O' shape.  
  
"Do you want me to follow her?" he asked. Rashid sighed deeply, his chest heaving.  
  
"Yes, I will tell Master Quatre what is going on in the morning."  
  
"Won't Master Quatre be upset? He seems to have grown quite attached to the young lady." Rashid laughed at his friend's observation.  
  
"So I wasn't the only one to notice? They all seem to be very protective of her, even if they don't want to admit it." Rashid said with a sigh.  
  
"Shall I begin to tail her before I lose her then?" Rashid nodded.  
  
"Yes, keep in constant contact. Use channel three." His comrade bowed his head quickly in respect and headed to the garage to grab one of the Maganac's jeeps that was always ready for deployment. It was loaded with several packs of clothing and food rations, not to mention three communication devices that could pick up almost any frequency in the world.  
  
  


~*~*~*~*~

  
  
  
Quatre awoke later that morning with a loud yawn. A small smile graced his sleepy face, for he had just awoken from what could only be described as a blissful dream. The actual details of his wondrous dream were as hazy has his vision at the moment, but that wasn't important. It was more the feeling that he received from it, the sense of peace and happiness. That peace, however, was soon shattered by the incessant knocking that seemed hell bent on ruining his wonderful start to the day. Scowling as no one knew he could, he called out a simple but gruff, "I'm coming." And proceeded to do just that.  
  
"Begging your pardon Master Quatre," Rashid, his most trusted advisor and friend said bowing respectfully. Quatre brightened a bit upon seeing his mentor's face.  
  
"That's all right Rashid. I was awake anyhow. What is it that I can do for you today?" He asked rather pleasantly. _He won't be very pleasant much longer._ Rashid thought grimacing to himself.  
  
"I hate to inform you of this, but it seems as if Miss Ami has well, run away."  
  
"She did _what_?!" Quatre's shouts were enough to draw both Trowa and Wufei out of their rooms, which were positioned next to Quatre's. Trowa had just pulled his infamous black turtleneck over his head as he walked out of his room, and Wufei was standing there in nothing but white karate pants and towel draped over his neck. It was obvious that he had just returned from his morning exercises.  
  
"What the hell is going wrong this early in the morning?" Wufei groaned, dabbing a random trail of sweat that made its way down his overheated chest with the towel. Quatre was in too much of a shock to answer, so Rashid took it upon himself to respond.  
  
"Miss Ami ran away last night. To where we don't know, however I have Kamali tailing her as we speak.  
  
"Why didn't you inform us last night?" a voice from the stairs asked. Heero had just walked up from getting some breakfast, as was shown by the glass of orange juice in his hand. Duo walked out of the hall bathroom, yawning. The others would normally question why the braided pilot was up at the "ungodly" hour of nine a.m., however it seemed that he was still half-asleep and was heading back to bed. That and the statement that Rashid had just made took precedence over trivial questions such as that one.  
  
"I felt that there was nothing that you could do at the time." He started.  
  
"Nothing we could do?" Duo asked incredulously, he had woke up at Rashid's comment, much as one would if a bucket of ice cold water was thrown on them. "Of course there is something we could have done! Like stopping her!" He continued, his face transforming from one of shock to one of pure rage.  
  
"I do apologize Master Maxwell, but if you would have seen her face as she left, then you would have done the same thing. There was no stopping her, and if you had, she just would have tried again. Kamali is watching over her. I trust him with _my_ life, so I trust him with hers. He will make sure that nothing happens to her." Rashid said trying to calm the raging pilots down.  
  
"How do you contact Kamali?" Heero asked calmly.  
  
"The jeep that he is using has a tracking devise as does all of his clothes. He is also carrying a standard XZ34 communications device." Rashid answered, happy that at least one of them was thinking rationally.  
  
"What channel?" He asked.   
  
"Three, why?" Heero didn't answer instead he left and headed to his room a few doors down. The others followed him curiously. Heero was seated at his desk, perhaps the most used piece of furniture in the room. His fingers were flying across the keypad of his laptop. He was pulling files up and discarding them faster than anyone could comprehend. Finally, he had the screen that he wanted. It was the Global Communications Incorporated mainframe, the company who designed and manufactured XZ34's.  
  
"What the hell do you think you are doing?" Rashid asked the pilot, astonished that he would even _attempt_ something of this nature. Turning and looking around him, he saw that the other pilots, Master Quatre included were all moving closer to the screen to see what their comrade could uncover. Not even one of them looked guilty.  
  
"You get used to it." Duo said, shrugging nonchalantly.  
  
"Most of the time this is the only way to gather intelligence." Trowa said quietly. Rashid still stared at them in shock. Shaking his head, he too moved to get a closer look. After another three minutes, the Prussian eyed pilot had the wanted information displayed in a window. The others unconsciously leaned in, trying to see what Heero had pulled up.  
  
  


~*~*~*~*~

  
  
  
Ami wandered into the small town of Jin-Kita, her feet weary from walking all night. She was too determined to pause for even a short break, and had been walking for nearly ten hours. Her mini computer showed that she was growing closer to her goal. Because she knew not the exact signature of the plant, she could only program in a possible indicator, and thus was given a two-mile radius at best. Jin-Kita was in that two-mile radius.  
  
Looking around for some place to rest her exhausted body, she spotted a small park in the inner most part of the town. Sitting down on an empty bench, she smiled at the small children that were playing on a busted up, old jungle gym. It was amazing that no matter the condition of a child's toys, they could still find joy and fun in just about anything they did. She missed those days, those days long ago of innocence and fun. She could scarcely remember a time when she wasn't studying or fighting youma.  
  
Sighing deeply, she opened her pack and took out a bottle of water and a small finger sandwich she had made last night. She had made sure to make enough that she would be able to ration her food for several days, if not weeks. She had never needed much food, since she was used to pulling all nighters with only a few pieces of meat between two slices of bread to sustain her hunger. Once the sandwich and two sips of water were consumed, she capped the water and placed the bottle back in her pack. The plastic wrapper was disposed of neatly, in a trash bin that was next to the bench.  
  
Deciding to get straight to it, she brought her computer out and began to type furiously, trying to narrow down the field as much as possible. After another twenty minutes of furious typing and computations, Ami was able to reduce the two-mile radius to within the borders of the town. Smiling, she stood, cracking her neck and aching back. Deciding that the park was just a good place as any to start her search, she began to walk around, seemingly aimlessly, however on a very precise mission, to find her cure.  
  
Using her computer as a scanner for each plant that she came across, she carefully examined each, not wanting to accidentally skip over the correct one. She was busy scanning and double-checking her work, but not too busy to notice the man who had been following her through the park. Ami narrowed her eyes when she noticed the clothes that he was wearing. It was the same that Quatre's comrade Rashid wore. The boys had someone tailing her, as if they didn't trust her or something.  
  
_Can you blame them?_ Her inner voice shot back. _They've known you for all of twenty-four hours, and you expect them not to be suspicious when you sneak out of the house after being shown so much?_ Ami growled low in her throat.  
  
"I get the picture already. So leaving wasn't a smart move…shutup already would you?" Ami shook her head trying to clear all of those annoying voices out of her mind, so that she could continue her search in relative peace. Sighing, she was about to give up her quest in the park and move on into the town, when she heard a tiny beeping sound coming from her computer. It had found something! Bringing the computer closer to her eyes, she read rapidly what it was saying; the cure was here! Only a few hundred yards away, if not closer.  
  
Trying to find it was like playing a game of hot and cold with her computer. The beeping would slow and quiet if she moved in the wrong direction and it would quicken much like her heart was at the moment, if she got closer to the life-saving plant. Ami barely heard the sound of the beeping of the computer over her own pounding heart, for the blood was hammering in her ears so loud that all other sound was drowned out.  
  
So it was no surprise that she didn't hear the sound of hundreds of army vehicles pulling into the town, and more specifically stopping in the park. She did however hear the shouts of children screaming in terror as they were pulled from their friends and mothers.  
  
"What in the world is going on?" she whispered to herself looking around her in disbelief and horror. It seemed that hundreds of men in camouflage clothes and M-16's were carting the people of the town away in the convoy of covered flatbed trucks. And she most certainly noticed the group of soldiers headed her way. She began to panic, she was alone (if you didn't count her little tail) in strange city, mere inches from her cure, and she was about to be taken hostage by a group of soldiers whom she had no idea on which side they were on. She didn't even know the sides in this war to begin with, she only knew she should have just slept in.  
  
Breaking into a run, she frantically scanned over the garden of flowers, so that she could grab the necessary one. Finally finding it, she snatched a handful into her delicate hands. They were actual a quite breathtaking flower. They were rather small, compared to most flowers, but more than made up for their lesser size by their beauty. The leaves were a gorgeous shade of hunter green, and the bulbs of the almost tulip like flower were a rainbow of shimmering metallic colors. It seemed to contain every color in the rainbow, and more ironically every color of the nine senshi of the Silver Millennium.  
  
Before she knew what was happening to her, she was being grabbed and dragged from the small garden by two of the soldiers.  
  
"No!!! Let me go!" she screamed in panic, her arms were flailing about, and she was trying her damnedest to elbow the two men who were kidnapping her.  
  
"Shut up, and come along nicely!" The one sneered at her, pulling her right arm tightly behind her back and bending it at the elbow so she was restrained. The flowers were still tightly clenched in her left hand, and luckily, her computer was already back in her sub space pocket.  
  
"We only have five more minutes before the boys blow this town to a smear! Just knock her out and lets get going!" One of them who was just standing there said, angry that it was taking so long to get the mission accomplished.  
  
Ami froze at his words. _Destroy the town? They'll wipe out that flower and I don't know if it exists anywhere else!_ Her numbness turned to panic once again. The soldier who had just spoken, grew annoyed at her struggles and ended them once and for all. Slamming the back of her head with the butt of his gun, Ami was knocked unconscious.  
  
"Pick her up." He ordered one of the men. The ordered man did so, lifting the petite girl into his arms, not noticing her hand unfurling and several flowers fall to the cold ground, their stems and lovely petals falling off or breaking. He didn't even notice them when his large boots crushed their delicate petals.  
  
  


~*~*~*~*~

  
  
  
"What the hell is going on?" Duo asked starring at the screen Heero had brought up in confusion. It was just a screen of snow, annoying buzzing snow. Heero furrowed his eyebrows in mystification.  
  
"I thought you said channel three?" He said, glaring at Rashid accusingly. Rashid blinked and nodded at the teen,  
  
"Yes, all of our radios are on channel three."  
  
"This doesn't look like the right one, perhaps you typed something in wrong, Heero?" Quatre asked the boy who was currently clenching his fists together in anger. He had figured out what happened, or at least what he had been trying to do. By hacking into the main frame, he could override any codes or lock systems, go straight to the visual mode, and see what was exactly going on. However, this snowy screen did not look good at all, for either Ami or Kamali.  
  
"Something must be interfering with the signal." Wufei said crossing his arms over his chest.  
  
"Impossible." Heero grunted, sitting back in the desk chair. "Through the main frame of GCI, I can see and hear anything and everything. Even if it's turned off. However, according to this, it's on, or at least it was before it was destroyed."  
  
"What about his clothes?" Trowa asked looking at Rashid. Rashid grinned.  
  
"Yes! His tracking device! Move aside!" He said literally shoving Heero off the chair and onto the floor in a heap. Heero responded with narrowed eyes and a gun.  
  
"Please put that away Heero. I'm sorry for Rashid's actions, he just gets like this whenever he's excited." Quatre apologized for the older man who was presently typing away furiously at the laptop. His fingers pounding the keys rapidly and forcefully, nothing compared to the graceful keystrokes of one Heero Yuy.  
  
"Hn." Heero grunted, removing himself from the floor. "You break it you bought it." He said simply, before leaning over to see what Rashid uncovered.  
  
"Ah ha! Here we go…" said Rashid, his typing slowing a bit as he was searching for specific data. "According to this…" he said continuing to type, ignorant of the boys leaning in behind him. "This is the path that his jeep went on before the radio contact was severed…"  
  
Pulled up on the screen was a moving, bleeping dot. The trail that it had gone on since leaving the Winner Mansion, was marked by a blue line. The area where the radio transmitter on the vehicle was cut was circled in red.  
  
"That's the town of Jin-Kita." Duo said scratching the back of his head. "It's not that far from here."  
  
"Hn. Makes sense." Heero said closing his eyes, and leaning against the wall next to the desk.  
  
"Yes, Miss Ami would only be able to go so far. At least we know where their last location was." Said the quiet blonde pilot, sighing in relief.  
  
"Do you think that Kamali could have picked her up and took her somewhere?" Duo asked. Rashid bolted up in his seat before Duo had even finished his sentence.  
  
"No! I trust that man with my life! I know he is not a traitor. They could be on the run from something…the point is we don't know."  
  
"No, we don't." Heero said coldly. "And until we do, no assumptions are ruled out." Rashid narrowed his eyes at the young pilot and clenched his hands and teeth. A low growl escaped his lips.  
  
"I dare you to say that again, you little…"  
  
"Enough!" Wufei thundered, uncrossing his arms and walking over to the computer. "Something obviously happened in Jin-Kito, so we need to get there and find out. We'll start our search from there, and we do know where he's going."  
  
"Guys…" a shaky voice said from the other side of the room.  
  
"I think we need to get to this Kamali person right now and ask _him_ what the hell happened there." Heero said, responding to Wufei's idea.  
  
"You would Yuy! We need to leave him alone for the moment and trust the help! His mission is to follow that onna, ours is to figure out why in the hell he is running like a bat out of hell from that small town." Wufei shouted right back.  
  
"Guys…" that same voice started.  
  
"Chang don't start with me right now, we first need to collect those two and _then_ figure out what happened!"  
  
"_Guys_! Would you shut the hell up and look at this!" Duo, the voice that had tried to plead their attention shouted, finally fed up with the arguments.  
  
"What?" Heero and Wufei said together, turning to glare at the braided pilot. However, whatever else they may have said dried in their throat when they turned to the TV that Duo had turned on.  
  
"In case you are just tuning in, tragedy has struck the small town of Jin-Kito just outside of Kyoko. A rebel force, in response to the White Fang threat, has taken the entire town hostage and lain to waste this once peaceful town. I repeat, Jin-Kito has been totally destroyed…" The rest of whatever the reporter was saying was drowned out. Quatre stood staring at the television, trying to blink back tears and failing miserably.  
  
"All of those people…" He murmured over and over again. Trowa and Wufei were starring slack jawed at the screen. Never had a rebel force done such a thing. It was unheard of. Duo had collapsed to the ground, and just sat blinking at the reporters face, seeing her lips moving but not hearing a word that was said.  
  
"We don't know that she was there…" Rashid said quietly, hoping to lift the spirits in the room that had plummeted to a dangerous level.  
  
"Ami…" Was the only word that Heero could manage to let escape his lips. His heart was thundering in his chest, pounding painfully in it's spot. He thought for a moment _so this is what's it's like to have a heart attack_, before storming out of the room.  
  
  
TBC!  
  
How's that for a cliffe? So what exactly did happen in Jin-Kito. Is Ami still alive? What of that flower…are there more out there, or was her last hope destroyed by those carelessly launched bombs? And where ever was Kamali? That and more answered next time! Please read and review!  
  



	6. Chapter Four: Out of the Fire

  
Above All, Exists Love  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon or Gundam Wing. Now _that_ would be a great present…ownership of two animes…::sigh:: I only wish.  
  
Key:  
  
"___": dialogue   
'___': thoughts   
~*~*~*~*~ : scene change  
  
  
AN: Sorry it's taken me so long to get this chapter out. I've just been swamped with school work and such. And since it's spring now, it's also softball season, so I have a lot of time either practicing, or playing, or working out on my own…I made this nice and long for you guys! Well, a bit longer than usual…Oh and two days ago (05/27/03) was Kaiya's (the pen name's) two-year birthday! So happy birthday to me! I've been posting fics for two years now, and writing for nearly nine times that amount. There are several new names in this chapter as well:  
  
Kuniko - child from the country   
Kalil - friend   
Kayla - wise child   
Kamali - spirit guide/protector (from last chapter)   
Yukio Geoff - (that's written the Japanese way) Yukio means "gets what he wants" and Geoff…well that's a little inside joke with some friends. Just know that he's not good.   
Markku-Cadens - directly translated means "rebellious fighters"  
  
You'll see how and when all of these names/people come in. Some play important roles, other's not so important roles. Just thought you'd like to know what they mean.  
  
  
Questions/Comments/Answers:  
  
  
**Princess Mercury:**I'm glad that you liked last chapter so much! Read and see what happened to the our beloved Ami.  
  
**Mrs. Tepes…:**Thanks for the review and vote! And finally the triangle is mentioned again! I was beginning to think that ya'll forgot about it!  
  
**GracefulAngel1854:**Thanks! I will.  
  
**minimerc:**lol, I hope I do too. Lol, thanks for the review and vote! (even _if_ I know how you will vote) And how do you know I wouldn't kill Ami-chan off just yet? ::minimerc raises eyebrow:: Okay okay, you know me to well. She isn't dead…but shhhhh don't let anyone else know my secret! ::wink::  
  
**Mogui:**Thanks for the compliments! LOL, just because they haven't glared yet doesn't mean that they won't. I just may have to include that if the pairing comes down to Heero and Wufei. It would definitely make for a hilarious chapter, ne? Thanks for the review and vote!  
  
**DarkAngelPearl:**Hey! Thanks for your review. I just put you on the "mailing list". (As I'm sure you noticed) Thanks for the vote as well. I'm sorry to say that that triangle pairing isn't an option. Quatre isn't one of the pilots left in the poll. (I didn't include him to begin with because I personally don't think they make a good pair. ::shrug::) LOL, I think you'll have to fight my friend over Trowa, she's obsessed with him…hehe.  
  
**Sadie Joyce - Myst Lady:**Thanks for your review and compliment! I didn't include Quatre in the poll, sorry if you are an Ami/Quatre fan. I myself am not. Personally, I think they are too much alike to work well together, they are more like twins than lovers. ::shrugs:: I dunno. That's just how I feel. However, I may consider writing a Quatre/Ami if I get enough requests. It will be written much later though. Thanks for the vote as well!  
  


~*~*~*~*~

  
  
Last Time:  
  
"All of those people…" He murmured over and over again. Trowa and Wufei were starring slack jawed at the screen. Never had a rebel force done such a thing. It was unheard of. Duo had collapsed to the ground, and just sat blinking at the reporters face, seeing her lips moving but not hearing a word that was said.  
  
"We don't know that she was there…" Rashid said quietly, hoping to lift the spirits in the room that had plummeted to a dangerous level.  
  
"Ami…" Was the only word that Heero could manage to let escape his lips. His heart was thundering in his chest, pounding painfully in it's spot. He thought for a moment _so this is what's it's like to have a heart attack_, before storming out of the room.  
  
  


~*~*~*~*~

  
  
  
Chapter Four: Out of the Fire…  
  
  
Ami slowly awoke, her mind fuzzy. She felt like she was hung over, although, having nothing to compare it to since she had never been drunk, she settled for calling it mind numbing pain. It seemed as if every cell in her poor brain felt every single pulse of blood, as it echoed like a drum. She clenched her eyes together tightly, and then reopened them, trying to get the pounding in her head to at least slow down.  
  
"Are you awake lady?" a diminutive, quiet voice asked timidly. Ami turned her head to the direction that she thought the voice had come from and saw a small girl about six starring back at her with wide doe eyes. She was short for her age, and very pale. She had shoulder length ebony black hair that shimmered in what little light that was provided. All and all she had a very haunting appearance, here eyes reflecting the same knowledge that Ami was told reflected in hers.  
  
"Where are we?" Ami asked the girl softly. The little girl shrugged.  
  
"I dunno. The bad men came and stucked us in here." She said, sticking her thumb into her mouth. Ami nodded and scooted closer to the tiny child.  
  
"Are you scared?" Ami asked reaching over to envelop the girl in her arms. The girl could only nod, as she cuddled into Ami's chest. "My name is Ami, and I'm going to get you out of here okay?" The girl sat back a bit to study Ami's eyes, before nodding.  
  
"My name is Kuniko." She said quietly, before placing her soaked thumb back in her mouth. Ami brought her closer to her chest, and began to rock with the child, her eyes scanning the cell that they were currently in. It was too dark to see anywhere outside of a five feet radius, but she could tell that they were in a dungeon of sorts, and that her and Kuniko's wasn't the only cage. There were two other's in the same cell as they, but they were still passed out, or dead. Ami preferred to think that it was the former. She also couldn't find her backpack…it must have either been taken from her or dropped on her way to the trucks.  
  
Suddenly, Ami heard a door opening in the distance, most likely further down the hallway, which she assumed, was the entrance to the holding cells. From the sound of the echo, it seemed as if their cell was one of the last ones along the aisle. What could only be rigorously polished army issue boots, clicked and stomped their way down the aisles, occasionally pausing to remove the prisoners that were awake out. Time seemed to slow to an impossible speed, as Ami's breathing began to come out in short pants. Her blood was pulsing faster and faster, causing her head to ache twice as much as it had when she first awoke. Clutching Kuniko closer to her body, Ami tried to shelter the child from discovery, almost as if Ami could form a protective shield that would render the girl invisible to the soldiers.  
  
Finally, Ami, upon hearing the footsteps pause outside of her cell, chanced a look up, and barely kept the bile in her stomach. She was wrong about one thing, they weren't escorting those awake out, they were taking those who weren't alive. There were three soldiers standing in front her cell. One of them was loaded down with the rotting body of some decrepit old man, a large gash had split his forehead open and his right arm was bent at an angle that shouldn't have been possible. The other two looked angry, boarder line pissed. Apparently, this wasn't a job that they wanted to be stuck with, and Ami didn't blame them.  
  
"You all alive in there?" a tall, lanky man crooned out, his voice cracking in a waspish tone. Ami wondered how he intended to carry any dead out, but she had long since learned that appearances could be, and most likely were, deceiving. Take her as an example, no one would ever suspect the bookish, school nerd of being a reincarnated Princess from a thousand years ago, and with more power in her pinkie finger than all of the soldiers in the room. Of course, unlike Makato or Rei, she was unable to tap into most her power outside of her transformed state, unless, one counted her intelligence as part of her power. If that was the case, then she carried the most power when not transformed out of the other senshi comparable only to Rei when she was in front of her sacred fire. And of course, she could do such parlor tricks as she had demonstrated to Wufei and the others, but that took a lot of energy and in her weakened state she didn't even want to attempt that.  
  
"Answer me, child." The same man said, impatient. Biting down her fear, she quietly answered him.  
  
"I don't know, sir." She added the last part as an afterthought, something that could serve to keep her and Kuniko alive and well. "This child and I are awake and all right. As for the two others in here, I do not know." The man grumbled and opened the cell door. Motioning the man not holding a body to check them, he rushed to do so. Placing his hand on the neck of the man laying in the opposite corner, he nodded, and then moved over to the woman lying next to him. Checking her pulse, he sighed and looked up at his commander, shaking his head no.  
  
His commander nodded slightly and closed his eyes. The soldier nodded back and hefted the woman into his arms, carrying her a bit gentler than the other soldier was carrying the old man. "Damn ruffians." He cursed under his breath, taking his burden out of the cell. "They just don't get it." Ami didn't know what the "ruffians" didn't get, but she was sure it was something along the line that hostages needed to be alive to be of any use. The three men then turned to leave, heading back down the long expansive hallway.  
  
"Sir…" Ami spoke up, not knowing why or where she found the courage to open her mouth. _He was leaving you baka. You could have just killed Kuniko and yourself._ The head soldier turned to face Ami, slightly startled. None of the other captives had dared speak more than they were asked.  
  
"Yes?" he asked, brow raised, wondering what it was that this girl felt the need to ask. Surprisingly, she didn't look frightened at all. Whatever fear had been in her eyes when he first turned around, was now replaced with cold determination.  
  
"Um…sir. I was wondering if or when you are to feed us. If not all of us, could you at least feed this child. I won't take any food, I swear. Just…please…" Ami was interrupted by the soldier.  
  
"This is your child?" At the shake of Ami's head, he asked. "You know her then?"  
  
"No sir, I found her…well more like she found me when I awoke." Ami said smiling down at Kuniko's petrified face. The soldier felt his heart pull, this girl, with no regard for her own safety, was caring for a child that she had never met. It was people like her who he _thought_ he would be fighting for when he joined the Markku-Cadens, not capturing and killing.  
  
"Of course. I will have food brought to your cell within the hour." He answered.  
  
"But Captain…" the soldier holding the old man protested. "That's against the general's orders." The Captain turned to glare at his subordinate.  
  
"Who is your commanding officer?" he asked in the brusque tone that only years serving in the military could provide one with.  
  
"You…sir." The soldier said.  
  
"Yes, me. So, do you dare question my orders private?" the soldier winced at the reminder of his rank.  
  
"No sir." The private responded. The Captain nodded.  
  
"Good. See that they are carried out."  
  
"Yes sir." The captain turned to look at Ami and Kuniko once more, giving them a small, reassuring smile.  
  
  
  
  
General Yukio Geoff was _not_ a man to be trifled with. He played no favorites. There were only two ways that he would ever look at you, with absolute and total hatred, or with complete haughtiness. The former being the position that no one _ever_, under _any_ circumstances wished to find himself. And this was the position that one Captain Kalil found himself. He was currently seated in the General's rather plush office, starring into the eyes of a madman.  
  
"Let me get this straight Captain…you deliberately disobeyed my order because some child asked you to?" He asked rocking back in his chair, his right fist closed tightly over a stress ball. However, Captain Kalil doubted that the contraption worked on the man currently glaring at him.  
  
"Yes sir." Captain Kalil said looking him straight in the eyes and wishing that he had not done so. The absolute joy that shone in those eyes when he confessed to insubordination caused an innumerable amount of shivers to crawl up and down his spine.  
  
"I see…" he trailed off, seemingly thinking to himself of the punishment, although both men knew that the General had long ago planned his fate as soon as Private Rat had marched into his office and told the General of Captain Kalil's betrayal. "This girl…and child, they mean something to you Captain?" The general asked both his rocking and squeezing having stopped. The captain winced,  
  
"No sir…I don't know them." The general smiled.  
  
"I did not ask if you knew them, Captain. I asked if you cared for them, if they _meant_ something to you." The captain closed his eyes, forcing his body to relax, he would have liked nothing more than to jump out of his seat and strangle the damned general.  
  
"I care for all of the people of earth sir." Captain Kalil answered, avoiding the question. In truth, the blue-haired young lady and small child reminded him of his own wife and child killed during the war. She had always cared more for others than herself, and so he joined the Markku-Cadens cause, hoping to put an end to the sufferings of people like his beloved Suki and their daughter, Keiki. However, after meeting the general for the first time, he began to have a dreadful feeling in the pit of his stomach, that his cause, wasn't _General Geoff's_ cause.  
  
"Of course you do Captain…" General Geoff said with a smile. "And I have just the thing to cure you of that…caring." Kalil shot up from his chair, unable to stay seated a moment longer.  
  
"What do you mean sir?" He barely managed to keep his voice from a shout.  
  
"Why, the execution of that girl and child, of course. I cannot have weak soldiers serving me, Captain. Caring and love, are two emotions that do not belong in a war."  
  
"You can't!" Kalil shouted without thinking.  
  
"Oh, can't I? The hostages were never to remain alive, Captain. They are just to show the Earth Sphere Alliance that we mean business, no pussy-footing around. Unless of course you have a problem with this plan?" the general said with a smirk. Kalil's hands clenched together so tightly that little half moon cuts were beginning to form on his hands, and blood was beginning to seep from the wounds. His teeth were clamped together so tightly that he thought he would grind them right off.  
  
"No…no problem sir." Captain Kalil finally managed to force out. He knew that if he had said yes, then he would have been either killed or arrested, and both would leave the girl and child dead. And that was not a part of his plan.  
  
"Good, now get out of my sight." The general hissed. Captain Kalil saluted once, and then turned on his heel and left the room. Once the door was closed, General Geoff brought his communicator to his lips. "Watch him." were the simple orders directed to the men on the other line.  
  
  
  
  
Ami was trying to sleep. However, her abdomen hurt so badly that she could scarcely breath. The poison was once again fighting her system. Ami needed that flower that had been crushed without a further thought. Her only thoughts were on how to escape and return to the small village that she had been taken from. Hoping against hope that it wasn't destroyed, or if it was, that the small garden that was her salvation was still somewhat intact.  
  
Fortunately, little Kuniko was fast asleep, curled against Ami's side. Ami smiled as she stroked the young girl's hair, gently singing to her. Her escape had to include the child as well, there was no way she would leave Kuniko to the mercy of these men. Besides, she had promised her that she would get her out of there, and senshi always keep their promises. Or they at least attempt to keep them. Hell, a promise was the only thing that had gotten her this death sentence in the first place. The promise to protect her princess no matter what, a promise that was made in a former life.  
  
Ami nearly laughed aloud at the thought that the thing that was really killing her, her true enemy was duty, her duty to the crown of the moon. Not to her own people, or to her own planet, but to a kingdom that was a millennia gone, and who's only surviving relative was a blonde klutz. Instead of laughing, tears began to fall from her ocean blue eyes. It really wasn't fair. To give up everything she had ever known, or would ever know for one person. Don't get her wrong, she loved that one person with all of her heart and soul, she just sometimes wished that she didn't have to. Wished that there could be another way. Ami's musings were interrupted by a whispered voice.  
  
"Hey…" Ami nearly shot up, but first disentangled herself from Kuniko's arms, so that the child would not awaken as well.  
  
"Yes?" she whispered back, moving over to the cell doors. There, holding a flashlight and a ring of keys was the captain from earlier. That captain who had food brought for not only Kuniko but for herself as well.  
  
"We have to get you two out of here, now." He whispered, the urgency in his voice was not lost on Ami. Nodding, she ran back over to Kuniko's sleeping form and lifted the child in her arms, resting the girl's head against her shoulder. While she was gathering her in her arms, Kalil was opening the cell.  
  
"Not that I'm complaining…but why?" Ami asked, almost afraid that he would change his mind and send them back in, or that he was taking them to their executions. He smiled, although the smile didn't reach his eyes.  
  
"Because you remind me of them." Ami was about to ask whom he was talking about, when she saw that he held a small locket out to her. Taking the locket with her free hand, she opened the heart shaped adornment and looked inside. On the left hand side was a picture of a woman's face, her light aqua hair was swept loosely around her face. She was wearing no makeup and needed none for Ami to see her beauty. She was smiling at the camera in a loving way; it was obvious the captain was the one who had taken the picture. And on the right was the same woman holding a small child, about Kuniko's age. Her hair was a mix of her father's dark sandy blonde and mother's aqua. More so her father's, with only a few streaks of aqua, the child otherwise was a chibi form of her mother. Closing the locket Ami handed it back to him, but not before reading the beautifully inscribed words on the back. _"My life, My love, My world."_  
  
"Thank you." Ami whispered, not only for helping them escape, but also for allowing her to see his soul. He nodded and then hurriedly ushered her out of the cell block.  
  
"From here, we're going to go until this hallway ends and then take a right. Once you do, the second door on the left is the door you want. It's the loading docks. I already talked to a friend; he's awaiting your arrival in a jeep. His name is Kamali; he's my brother. He offered to help you escape."  
  
"But what about you?" Ami asked easily keeping up with his fast pace. He turned to her and smiled that same sad smile that he gave her earlier in the day.  
  
"I won't survive this, even if they don't stop us on the way, they will track me down. I know too much for them to let me go. You know nothing, and are of no use to them. They won't bother to search for you."  
  
"I can't let you…"  
  
"You don't have a choice here." He whispered harshly. Seeing Ami wince his expression softened. "I never did catch your names." Ami smiled up at him.  
  
"Ami," she answered indicating herself, "and Kuniko." She said, her hand brushing the sleeping girl's hair out of her face.  
  
"Lovely names." Kalil said.  
  
"I never caught yours." Ami said with a smile. Kalil returned her playful smile.  
  
"Kalil."  
  
"I'm honored to call you friend. If only things were different, perhaps I might also have been friends with them." Ami said. Kalil nearly stopped at her words. He closed his eyes and thanked Allah that Suki's spirit was reborn, and into such a wonderful soul as well.  
  
"I'm honored to have met you as well." Their happy moment was spoiled with a bang. Kalil's eyes widened, and he stumbled, falling to the ground, blood pooling around him.  
  
"Kalil!" Ami shouted, stopping her run, to stoop next to her new friend. "Kalil, come on, you can't die here." Kalil looked up at her and smiled through his tears. He lay on his back, the blood oozing from the bullet hole in his chest. The front wound was obviously the exit wound, based on the damage to the flesh and tissue. Ami tried in vain to stop the blood flow. Kalil reached down and grabbed her hands in his.  
  
"Run…Ami. Please. Take Kuniko and go." He said through his gasps for air and coughs of pain. Something was pressing into her hand and when she looked down, she saw that he was giving her the locket of his wife and daughter.  
  
"No…" she sobbed. "I can't, please."  
  
"I insist…now go!" he said shoving her a bit, as much as he could manage with what little strength he had left. Ami nodded, the tears still falling down her face. She quickly threw the necklace around her neck and scooped Kuniko up into her arms. She took off towards her first turn, only a few feet away. She could hear the soldiers footsteps right behind her. Running faster than she had ever thought possible in her un-transformed state, Ami finally reached the loading docks. True to his word, there was a jeep parked and running at the exit.  
  
"Ami?" the man standing by the jeep asked. Ami nodded, and jumped into the passenger side of the jeep, holding Kuniko in her lap and crying. "What the hell happened?" he asked noticing her blood soaked hands.  
  
"Just drive…" she whispered clutching the locket tightly in her hands. Kamali nodded solemnly, able to guess just what had been the fate of his beloved baby brother. For the hundredth time that day, he wished that his communicator had not been destroyed. He was just going to have to trust his last intelligence that the safe house nearly ten miles away was still safe.  
  
  


~*~*~*~*~

  
  
  
The gundam pilots arrived at the location believed to be the hide out of the group that had bombed Jin-Kito. Arriving too late to stop the raging inferno from destroying most of the buildings and people, they prayed that they weren't too late to save Ami. Walking carefully over the rubble that was once the holding cells, they repeatedly dragged bloody and burned bodies out of their once tombs. After checking to see if any were alive, they had determined that all were dead long before the explosion that trapped their bodies under mounds of steel and concrete.  
  
"We haven't found her yet." Duo said, his head in his hands. The pilots were all currently sitting among the ruins in different states of despair. Out of 128 recovered bodies; none had belonged to one Ami Mizuno. "She's a senshi…a warrior remember? She probably froze all of their asses and was long gone before those cowards killed…murdered these people." Duo said, trying to convince not only his comrades but himself as well.  
  
"We have to keep hope, the hope that she is still alive." Quatre said agreeing with Duo.  
  
"Her body won't be here." Trowa said with such confidence and conviction that even the most entrenched doubter would believe.  
  
"We need to find Kamali." Heero said, standing up. "He may have saved her."  
  
"Yes, he probably has her, but can't tell us because his communicator was destroyed!" Quatre said brightening up even more.  
  
"I want a list of every safe house within a twenty mile radius. See where they might have gone." Said Wufei, directing his comment towards Heero.  
  
"Way ahead of you." Heero responded, his fingers flying across the keyboard.  
  
"Please be okay…" Quatre said, lifting yet another body from the debris, and placing it with the others. The count was currently 129 and rising.  
  
  


~*~*~*~*~

  
  
  
Ami had fallen asleep sometime during their drive to the safe house. She knew not where she was being taken, but she trusted this Kamali with her life. His brother had given his life for hers and Kuniko's, so she could return the favor and trust his brother.  
  
"Miss Ami…Miss Ami." Kamali said, gently shaking the girl awake.  
  
"Hmmmm…" Ami groaned, her mind foggy with sleep. Kuniko - who was still in Ami's lap - was currently awake and smiled up at Ami.  
  
"Ami wook!" she said holding out a doll that she was holding. "The nice man gave to me to play wif." She said smiling. Ami smiled back and pat her head.  
  
"That's great Kuniko." Kuniko giggled and went back to playing with the doll. "Kamali is it?" she asked the stranger. He nodded.  
  
"Yes…and you are Ami." Ami nodded, and then paused. How did he know her name? Kalil had just learned shortly before he…before they parted ways. And she did not recognize the man driving, so how could he know her?  
  
"How do you…"  
  
"Know your name?" he finished for her. At her nod, he sighed. "I was sent by Master Quatre to keep an eye on you."  
  
"You!" Ami said nearly throwing Kuniko from her lap in shock. "You were the one tailing me!"  
  
"You noticed?" he whispered in astonishment.  
  
"I noticed? Of course I noticed!"  
  
"I see…well, I picked up your bag after they took you. I managed to hide so that I was not taken. However, my communicator was destroyed in the process, and we have no way of contacting the pilots, at least until we reach the safe house."  
  
"You have my bag…thank you." Ami said, turning to look out the window.  
  
"I…I also picked up some of those flowers that you seemed intent on having. Rather pretty flowers if you ask me." He added. Ami's head whipped to face him in shock.  
  
"You brought them?"  
  
"Yes?" he answered hesitantly, "Did I do something wrong?" Ami began to laugh,  
  
"No! No of course not! You just saved my life - literally." She said, her eyes wide and shimmering. "Please, how much further until we reach the safe house? Those plants won't survive much longer and I need them alive in order to use them."  
  
"Only a few more miles. It shouldn't be long." Kamali said, his voice full of happiness.  
  
"Wonderful! Step on it then!" Ami ordered, clasping her hands together and pressing them against her chest. She would live after all; it would all work out, it just had to. She wasn't allowed to come this far only to have fate stop her now. Fate wasn't that cruel…  
  
"We're here…" Kamali didn't even have a chance to finish his sentence before Ami leapt from the truck, backpack clutched tightly in her hands like a lifeline, and raced to the front door. Opening the mailbox hanging on the right side of the door, Ami punched in the code that Kamali had told her would allow her to enter the safe house. Once the metal lock opened with a click, Ami burst through the doors and hurried inside so that she could begin her research. She zipped to the kitchen were she could set up her "lab" so to speak. Opening her backpack, she pulled out the precious flowers that could and would save her life.  
  
Ami was once again struck by the beauty before her. It seemed that no matter how often she looked at them - even though it was only the second time - they still managed to take her breath away. Although she wasn't sure if there were senshi from Neptune, Uranus, or Saturn, their planetary colors were present in the petals of the flower. That much she remembered from the Silver Millennium, all nine colors of the princesses of the solar system, she was Ami Mizuno resident genius and bookworm after all.  
  
Kuniko entered the kitchen a few minutes after her, her doe eyes wide and wondering. She looked around the kitchen in shock, not that the safe house was anything spectacular, on the contrary it was just a normal row house that one might find at the beach, however, to Kuniko it was heaven. Having just spent nearly a week in a dark and scary cell, anything was better to that, and this place had windows. Ami laughed at Kuniko's happy expression, before she too looked around the room. In all of her excitement at the plant being recovered, she nearly forgot where she had been and what had happened.  
  
"Kalil…" she whispered. Ami nearly jumped out of her skin when a large hand fell upon her shoulder. Whipping around she faced none other than Kamali. Even though he tried to hide it, she could see the sadness in his eyes. She was being foolish, she had merely lost a new friend; he had lost a brother. "I'm so sorry. I never meant…"  
  
"I know you didn't." Kamali interrupted. "You don't need to apologize. As young boys…" Kamali paused taking a deep breath, "…we could never play cops and robbers. Want to know why?"  
  
"Why?" Ami asked feeling as if she already knew the answer, but knowing that it had to come from him.  
  
"No one wanted to be the robber. We both had the same ideals; we just took different paths to achieve those ideals. I chose to join the Maganac's and then later join up with Master Quatre. Kalil…he decided to join the Markku-Cadens thinking that they stood for the same ideals as he."  
  
"But he was wrong…" Ami filled in. Kamali nodded, and then sighed.  
  
"Don't you have a plant to be working on? I'll go look for that radio and see if we can get some back up, eh?" Ami smiled and nodded.  
  
"Yes of course, could you take Kuniko with you? I don't want her in here when I start to mess with chemicals and such."  
  
"Of course. Come on child." Kamali said reaching down and grabbing a confused Kuniko's hand. At Ami's reassuring smile, she skipped off happily with the man. Once they were out of the room, Ami groaned and cracked her neck and back. She had a lot of work ahead of her. She gripped the bottom of her blood soaked hoodie and hefted it up over her head. Placing in on the back of one of the kitchen chairs, she was left in nothing but her black pants and tank top. Grabbing the kitchen table - a small square table with four chairs around it - Ami moved it closer to the sink and counter, which wasn't that far of a move. Placing all of the chairs, except one, over where the table was, she placed her backpack on one of the chairs. She removed the flowers from the chair that she had set them on when Kuniko had come into the kitchen, and placed them on the table.  
  
"Now for some beakers…" she said aloud, moving to the cabinets and searching for anything that could serve as a beaker. A knock on the swinging kitchen door interrupted her search. "Yes? Come in.," she said looking up to see who was entering. A despondent Kamali walked into the room. "What's wrong?"  
  
"Miss Ami…"  
  
"Yes?" Ami said, her voice hitching with fear and trepidation. She didn't like the way that Kamali had said that.  
  
"There is no radio here…we have no way of contacting the others."  
  
"Oh…"  
  
"We are sitting ducks here, we need to keep moving, until we can get to a place with a radio."  
  
"How far is the next safe house?" Ami asked, her eyes drifting to the almost completed lab table.  
  
"Another forty miles…at the minimum." Kamali answered. Ami shook her head furiously.  
  
"No way! We don't have enough supplies to last that long, at least not in the pack I brought. And I can't leave this plant, and to take it with me would mean that it would die, and so would I."  
  
"Then what do you suggest?" he asked, hoping that she could provide them with a better alternative.  
  
"We stay here. Once I finish extracting what I need, then we can hop in the jeep and look for another shelter with radio. Do you still have that destroyed communicator?"  
  
"Yes…why?"  
  
"Good, you can pass the time watching Kuniko and trying to fix it. You can use whatever technological device you can find in the safe house, and try to repair it the best you can. I don't know how long I will be, but as soon as I finish, if you are close to finishing the radio, I will assist you as much as I can. I'd rather be sitting ducks in a safe house with supplies and weapons - I can only assume that as pilots they have a stockpile of weapons here - then sitting ducks in a jeep with who knows how much gas on the open desert road."  
  
"Yes…wow Ami you are…amazing!" Kamali said smiling, he hadn't thought of any of those things.  
  
"I have to be. For my power is wisdom, I don't get much else." Kamali chose to ignore the obvious hint of depression in her statement,  
  
"I'll look for those weapons, and you will keep at least two in here. Is that understood?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Good Kayla." Kamali said with a smile. As expected Ami raised her thin eyebrow at him in questioning.  
  
"Kayla?"  
  
"Yes, it means wise child in Arabic…I think it suits you rather well." Ami laughed, a smile lighting up her face.  
  
"I've never had a nick name before…besides Ames."  
  
"Well now you do." Ami watched as Kamali and Kuniko left the room in search of the weapons, her thoughts drifting to the senshi that she left behind.  
  
"I hope that I can pull this off." She said with a sigh, "Dear Kami please let me pull this off." She said before finally moving to finish setting up her lab.  
  
  
TBC!  
  
Well? What did you think? No cliffie this time…I was nice. Will the boys find Ami before they leave again? Are they really safe from the soldiers? Have we really seen the last of General Geoff? (Hint: don't hold your breath on that one...)  
  



	7. Chapter Five: The Painful Goodbye

  
Above All, Exists Love  
  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon or Gundam Wing. Short and sweet today.  
  
Key:  
  
"___": dialogue   
'___': thoughts   
~*~*~*~*~ : scene change  
  
AN: Hello all. Sorry that I've been late in updating my fics. I've just been so busy with other things. I know that's not really a good excuse but it's mine. I was also stuck with major writer's block for the longest time with this fic, however I just had this wonderful idea for it and now it's going to and beyond my wildest hopes! Which leads me to this next part:  
  
**_WARNING:_**What you are about to read may surprise you. I really hate to write this warning because it might ruin my great plan to some of the readers who think like me. But for those who don't, I fear they will panic and leave this fic before it reaches it's heights. I just want to remind everyone that I'd like this to be a fic of EPIC proportions. Meaning, (for me at least) anywhere from 15-25 chapters. I am currently on five. So…with that in mind, take what you are about to read in stride. Thanks so much, and sorry if I ruined it for anyone out there! ^_^  
  
**_Important Info:_**In case you didn't re-read the important info section, my fic "Love Transcends All" was deleted by ff.net because of the vote feature. So, I in turn have re-vamped the past four chapters and prologue and re-titled both fics. I also cannot allow you to vote for the pairings so I will be concluding it as it was. Heero/Ami/Wufei with the winner to chose by me. I may go with the overwhelming vote for Heero. But if I get a great idea or whatever I may have her end up with Wufei. I haven't decided quite yet. Thanks for your patience and understanding.  
  
  
Questions/Comments/Answers:  
  
  
**CG Anna Marie:**Thanks for your review and vote! Again, sorry no Quatre. Lol, yes it was long time no see…I am so slow…::sigh:: ^_^  
  
**oldestof3:**Thanks for your review and vote!  
  
**GracefulAngel1854:**Thanks for your review! Glad to have made your day! ^_^  
  
**minimerc:**Yes…ff.net is being really evil lately. Glad that you could finally read it! Thanks for your review and vote!  
  
**Princess Mercury:**Hey. Did you get my e-mail? I have you on my list. And as long as you are in the mailing group, you will always get an e-mail when I send them. Aww really? Thanks! That makes me feel so good! Thanks for your review and vote!  
  
**DarkAngelPearl:**::sighs:: Hey DAP…sorry, but Duo was eliminated last chapter…I'll count both triangle and Wufei though! Thanks for the review and vote!  
  
**ice queen:**Thanks for the review and vote!  
  
**Sphinxqueen127:**Thanks for your review and vote! We'll just have to see who gets her…it seems as if Heero is dominating in this…  
  
**Princess Saturn:**Thanks for your review and vote! I'm glad that you like this story!  
  
**Mogui:**I'm still working it in. I definitely want to include that now…I think it would be just too good of a scene to leave out. So if the H/A/W wins look forward to that little contest…hmmm I still may do it even if it doesn't win. We'll see…lol…I too wonder which is more dangerous…hmmmm. I think both I wouldn't want to meet in a dark alley. Thanks for your review and vote!  
  
**NickeyWhite2:**Thanks for the review and vote. Yes it does seem that Heero is still in the lead. I don't think he's ever not been in the lead. Hmmm maybe you all are telling me something?  
  
**Aivame:**LOL! I knew that you'd be happy about that. You know you'll be seeing the next chapter soon…and if not all of it, well I'll be knocking on your door whining about writer's block. Hehe.  
  
**eventidespirit:**Hey, the best advice I can give you is have fun with your fics and don't worry about reviews too much. I have fics that only have one or two reviews, and they are some of my favorites. Before this site started to go down hill, (aka the banning of many things) you could trust more in the reviews, but many of the great authors who gave great reviews have left. I manage to draw some of those left (why I don't know). And just to let you know, the quality of your writing isn't necessarily reflected by the quantity of reviews. Hope this helps! And thanks for your review! A little side note to the second review. I understand, I was just confused when I read your other reviews and everyone seemed to "get it' and I was like "they are wrong, that didn't happen" and I was just wondering if it was my dumb self or them trying to sound smart. Yes…as you can see this is being continued…I just have been really busy. Sorry to make you wait so long. I can't wait to read your next Ami/Mamoru (not much of a fan of the name Darien) fic!  
  
**meeh2:**Lol, cute little rhyme there. Thanks for the review and vote!  
  
**Sumi Toshino:**No problem. I love your fic. It is so original and you don't see much of that anymore in the GW/SM section. Too often you see the same damn thing over and over. So thank you for changing that! And thanks for your review and vote. I'm glad you finally decided to stop on in and read this. Thanks again.  
  
  


~*~*~*~*~

  
  
Last Time:  
  
"Yes, it means wise child in Arabic…I think it suits you rather well." Ami laughed, a smile lighting up her face.  
  
"I've never had a nick name before…besides Ames."  
  
"Well now you do." Ami watched as Kamali and Kuniko left the room in search of the weapons, her thoughts drifting to the senshi that she left behind.  
  
"I hope that I can pull this off." She said with a sigh, "Dear Kami please let me pull this off." She said before finally moving to finish setting up her lab.  
  


~*~*~*~*~

  
  
Chapter Five: The Painful Goodbye  
  
  
Ami groaned rubbing her tired eyes in frustration. She had been working for nearly twelve hours straight. The table that had been relatively neat and organized only a few hours ago was now a mess of bottles and glasses, cups and mixtures. Using everything that the fully stocked kitchen had to offer, plus her immense knowledge and mini computer, Ami had succeeding in isolating the needed component of the flower…on paper. The trouble now was figuring out how to actually separate it from the flower, and separate enough of it to get the needed amount of elixir.  
  
"Ugh…I need sleep." She said yawning audibly.  
  
"So sleep." A voice said from the doorway. Ami jumped up in her seat, grabbing her chest as if she could stop her heart's rapid beating by touch alone.  
  
"Kamali," she breathed out more than relieved that it had been her new friend at the door. "Don't _do_ that. You nearly gave me a heart attack."  
  
"Gomen, Kayla." Ami smiled at the use of her nickname. It sounded…good, natural, almost as if it were her birth name.  
  
"Is Kuniko asleep?" Kamali nodded and pushed off the door frame entering the make-shift laboratory. Looking at the mess that had been created in the once spotless kitchen, Kamali smiled. "How's it coming?"  
  
"Actually, pretty good. I figured out what I need to do and what to do with it. The trouble is getting the piece I need out of the plant. And it's taking me much longer than I thought it would."  
  
"Why don't you go upstairs and get some sleep. I'll keep watch and that way, in the morning you can look at all of this with fresh eyes."  
  
"I guess…I really hate to leave this."  
  
"Kayla you are human, and as such you need sleep. So please, do this for me. You are going to work yourself into a coma and then what use will you be?" Ami chuckled.  
  
"I guess you're right."  
  
"You know I am. Now scoot. Before I have to pick you up and carry you there myself." Ami smiled and shook her head, standing up to stretch. Yawning again she slowly made her way to the door from which Kamali had moved to grant her access to the hallway. She reached the small staircase that led to the two bedroom and one bath second floor before pausing and turning back to the kitchen.  
  
"Hey Kamali?"  
  
"Yes?" he said poking his head out from the kitchen.  
  
"Thanks." He merely smiled and gestured her upstairs. Once he heard that she was up on the second floor he allowed a warm tear to trail it's way down his darkened skin.  
  
"No, thank you, Ami-hime."  
  
It wasn't the nightmare that woke Ami up; it was more the falling onto the hard floor in a tangle of sheets that did the job. Startled awake Ami was gasping for the breath that the horrid dream had taken from her. She couldn't much remember what occurred in the dream, just that she'd rather not have it occur again. Raising her right hand up to wipe her sweat caked bangs from her eyes, she drifted her gaze to the digital read-out of the alarm clock sitting on the night-stand, 4:23 A.M. She heaved a sigh before wrestling up the rumpled sheets and throwing them back onto the bed with a huff. She might as well get started since she knew that there was no way that she was going to go back to sleep and get any rest.  
  
Stifling a yawn she shrugged out of her nightgown and pulled on a fresh pair of jeans, and a rather plain, black cotton shirt. The sleeves were slightly long on her small arms, so she cuffed them a few times, and rolled the bottom of her shirt to give the illusion that it was tucked in. Slipping on a pair of socks and her sneakers, she quickly ran a brush through her short pixie hair. Taking the stairs two at a time, she reached the first level quickly.  
  
"Morning Kamali." She whispered, a smile on her face at the sleeping watchman. Entering the kitchen she looked around and noticed that not a single thing had moved from where she had left it. That was good. Walking over to her notes and materials, she re-read them and began to massage her temples. Where to begin, where to begin.  
  
Kamali found Ami starring at a small perfume bottle of some mixture hours later, after he awoke and found himself on the lumpy couch in the living room. After checking on Kuniko and finding the young girl still fast asleep, he entered the kitchen.  
  
"Ami?" he asked his one eyebrow raised in confusion. Ami blinked rapidly as if to clear not only her vision but her head as well.  
  
"Hmm?" Kamali laughed, the girl really was working too hard.  
  
"What are you starring at?"  
  
"Oh my cure." Kamali's eyes widened and his eyebrows arched.  
  
"So why don't you take it?"  
  
"Because if I do, then I will no longer have a purpose in this dimension and I will no longer exist here. I will go home." She said with a deep sigh as if she were explaining why the sky was blue.  
  
"So why don't you take it?" he asked again for lack of better words. Ami sighed again, this time in frustration.  
  
"Because! Then I'll go home!"  
  
"But wasn't that the point of this mission? Don't you want to go home?" Kamali said starting to understand what she was getting at. "Who is it?" He asked smiling down at her frazzled self. He felt like her uncle advising her in her love life.  
  
"What do you mean?" she asked refusing to look up at him merely for the fact that her cheeks were burning with embarrassment.  
  
"Which pilot has caught your eye, milady?" teased Kamali, his grin growing even wider. Ami threw her hands up in frustration and let loose a growl.  
  
"I don't know! It's just that…before the thought of leaving was the only thing on my mind, and now…"  
  
"Now you aren't too sure if leaving now would be the best thing, eh?" he supplied. Ami nodded placing her head in her hands in a huff, a pout pushing her pink lips out. Kamali laughed and patted her on the back.  
  
"Well if that's the problem, then why don't you just wait until they get here and talk to them before slinking off."  
  
"I wasn't going to slink off!" she said indignant, although that was just what she was going to do. Finally, what he said registered in her mind. "Coming here?"  
  
"Yes, I noticed earlier that the tracer in the jeep has been activated, only Master Rashid or Master Quatre can do that. So they know where we are, or at least where I am, and should be here shortly." Ami's pout faded quickly at his words and soon she was so happy that she was humming as she began to clean up her mess in her "lab". 'I can't wait to see him again…one last time.' She thought, though her head refused admit whom she was thinking about.  
  
"Ami!" A voice shouted from behind her causing her to start and nearly drop the vile holding her cure. Luckily, Kamali was standing next to her to catch it, seeing that the bottle safe Ami resisted the urge to hug Kamali and turned to glare at the voice that had nearly ended her life.  
  
"Duo…" Ami growled. "You have five seconds to explain why in the hell you decided to give me a heart attack before I make you eat whatever is left of your braid when I get through with it."  
  
"Damn babe. Just trying to say hey." Duo pouted petting his hair protectively. Ami shook her head and sighed.  
  
"It's okay, just warn me next time. You almost killed me."  
  
"What?" Quatre asked moving into the kitchen. "Hello Kamali." Quatre said nodding to his friend and follower. "What do you mean Duo almost killed you?" he said turning to face Ami, worry showing on his face and laced in his voice. Trowa was standing next to Quatre almost protectively, with Wufei and Heero right behind the two, and Kuniko in Heero's arms.  
  
"Kuniko! I almost forgot." Ami said slapping herself in the head and pushing through the guys to get to Heero. "Here, let me take her." She said looking at the small girl still sleeping, nuzzled into Heero's chest, not noticing the way the holder was starring at her. Seeing that Heero wasn't holding his arms out, offering the child, Ami glanced up to look at him and nearly stepped back from the intensity of his gaze. She could only stare captivated as Heero's eyes roamed over every inch of her body seemingly checking for injures before he relaxed a bit from his tense stance and handed her the child, looking almost…relieved.  
  
"Hey…Niko-chan, wakey wakey sleepy head." Ami gently cooed to the sleeping girl. Kuniko woke slowly, rubbing her eyes with her fisted hands, dropping the doll that Kamali had given her in the process. Opening her eyes she looking around, trying to aquatint herself with something or someone familiar and finally her eyes latched on Ami and Kamali.  
  
"Ami-mama, Kamali-papa? Who are these people?" she asked curling further into Ami's arms.  
  
"These are our friends, that's Quatre-san, Trowa-san, Duo-san, Wufei-san, and Heero-san." Ami said pointing each of the boys. "Say hello."  
  
"Hi. My name is Kuniko, Ami-mama saved me!" she said smiling. "And this is the dollie that Kamali-papa gave me. Isn't she perty?" When Ami looked up from her adopted daughter's smiling eyes she was met with Wufei's furious ones.  
  
"Wufei?" However he didn't answer, he stormed from the room, opening the door and walking outside. Ami furrowed her brows and looked to the other pilots who merely shrugged. Sighing, Quatre was about to leave when Ami's hand on his forearm stopped him.  
  
"Let me talk to him." Ami said standing and walking towards the door. "Keep and eye on Kuniko, oh and keep Duo away from that bottle." When she walked outside, she was blasted with a cool gust of wind. The day had turned chill and the dark rolling clouds promised rain later in the afternoon. Ami wrapped her arms around herself and scanned the yard for Wufei. She nearly jumped when she heard his voice from behind her.  
  
"What do you want Onna?" Smiling, knowing that he couldn't see it, Ami shrugged.  
  
"What was that about back there?" She heard him sigh and from the corner of her eye, she saw him sit on the front stoop. She more felt then saw him shrug and he grunted a non-committal answer. She turned and walked over to him, sitting on the step next to him. Smiling she bumped into him and smiled when he looked up at her. Blushing slightly, he returned his eyes to the cement of the sidewalk and sighed. Seeing her smiling face he grunted and stood up abruptly startling Ami.  
  
"What was what?" he said haughtily. Ami recoiled as if he had slapped her. She was too busy wondering what the hell was going on to see Wufei cringe, but another pair of blue eyes didn't miss it. Ami felt a new kind of fury build up in her and unleashed it with a sharp tongue.  
  
"Why the hell did you storm out of there like someone had your panties in a twist?" Ami thundered back, tired of having people walk on her and taking that aggression out on Wufei.  
  
"Here we are, spending _our_ valuable planning time looking for your sorry ass and here you are playing house with one of Quatre's servants!"  
  
"What did you just say to me?" Ami said crossing her arms over chest and setting her stance into a more solid one, her eyes lowering into a glare. "You have no idea what in the hell I've been through since I left the house. How dare you!"  
  
"What? What have you suffered little girl?" Wufei growled right back, too worked up to stop while he was still ahead. Ami's glare softened a bit, if only because her tears made it impossible for the full effect of the glare to work.  
  
"What, you ask?" she said her voice cracking a bit under the pressure of holding back her flood of tears. "Well, should I start with the constant feeling of loneliness and despair, or how about watching thousands of troops rip apart families…literally? Then watch them destroy my cure! This was before I had the hell beaten out of me because I refused to submit. Then I wake up in a dank, damp cell with no one alive but a child. That small child that was so frightened that I could feel her shaking deep in _my_ bones.  
  
"Maybe it was the soldiers that came in and hefted the dead bodies out of the dungeon that freaked me out. Or maybe it was the running for my life as my _only_ friend in the place, Kamali's _brother_ died in front of me. It took almost three days to scrub his blood off me, and I still have to carry the guilt that his helping me to escape is the reason his own men shot him. Then I get to tell his brother, who was sent to find me by you that his only family is dead because of _me_. Oh and did I mention the stress of finding my cure, which took about a week of non-stop work and of saving my entire dimension  
  
"I have _never_ had so much depend on me _ever_ and I am so scared that I'll mess it up." Ami broke down into body wrenching sobs, and was forced to sit back down on the step. "If I fail," she managed, "not only do I die, but an entire universe. I just want to be a normal teenager again." Ami continued to sob, no longer able to talk, so when the two strong arms wrapped themselves around her, she didn't question, she just buried herself in them and tried to lose her fear and her pain in his strength.  
  
"Ami…" the strangled voice attached to the arms said. "I never meant…I was worried. And I lash out when I'm worried. I…can you forgive me?" Ami nodded and looked up into the dark obsidian eyes of Wufei,  
  
"Of course." She sniffled. "I just needed to get that out, thanks." Wufei hesitated for a moment before leaning down and placing a kiss on the top of her forehead.  
  
"No problem Ames." Ami smiled at the name and curled further into the arms of her new confidant. The wind began to pick up and Ami started to shiver. "Come on, let's get back inside before you freeze." Ami shook her head.  
  
"No, I just want a few more minutes of peace before I have to go."  
  
"Go?" a new voice thundered. "Go where?" Ami and Wufei jumped up to stare into the deep, raging blue of Heero's eyes.  
  
"I…I sort of found my cure."  
  
"So?" Wufei asked turning to look at her. Ami began to fidget.  
  
"So…that means that I have to leave. Back to my dimension. And according to my calculations…I will as soon as I am cured." Ami bit her lip and shuffled her feet trying to avoid the two hard glares she was receiving.  
  
"But I…" Wufei started not sure what to say. He knew she had to go back. Hell he'd been praying for it since she arrived, but now…now he didn't know what to do. Heero was in much of the same position, in a blind moment of panic grabbed her arm, and hauled her inside.  
  
"Hey! What's the big idea?" she said, trying to remove herself from his grasp and knowing that it was pointless.  
  
"Heero, Wufei? What's going on?" Duo asked all conversation having stopped when Heero lugged the protesting Ami into the room.  
  
"Tell them." Heero demanded. Ami yanked her arm out of his grasp and began to massage it unconsciously.  
  
"I'm leaving. There happy?" she said glaring at him. His lowered eyes and low growl prompted her to continue. "This dimension. I'm leaving this dimension and going home. I have my cure and once I take it, I leave, without a choice…"  
  
"Yea, we know babe." Duo said sighing and thumbing at Kamali. "He informed us, it's okay. We understand. We all knew that you'd have to leave eventually. Just wished we could have gotten to know you better. Oh well, maybe you can come back and visit once you save the world?"  
  
"And you don't care?" Wufei said filling in for Heero's lack of speech. Quatre, Trowa and Duo looked at each other. Uh-oh, this wasn't looking good, they were growing attached.  
  
"Heero, Wufei…she has to leave. We can't keep her here. That would be sentencing her dimension to destruction. We can't in good conscious do that. If the path is right, Allah will grant us with her presence again."  
  
"Not everyone has a god such as yours Winner." Wufei said glaring. Ami growled.  
  
"I am here you know!" Everyone turned to face her sheepishly. "And maybe I can work something out with Pluto-san to visit you. But I really need to get home. I just…I didn't want to leave without saying good bye."  
  
"Damn straight babe. Cause then I'd have to travel over to your dimension and drag your ass back for a proper goodbye." Ami couldn't help but giggle and was promptly enveloped in a tight hug from Duo. "We're going to miss you, Ami." He said seriously.  
  
Two weeks later, the Gundam boys finally decided that they could say goodbye. After being smothered by Kuniko who, Quatre had invited to live with him, or more precisely Kamali, Ami sent the girl up to her new room. She didn't wish to subject her to whatever light show that would be emitted on her journey home and would have her talking like a crazy person for years to come.  
  
"I'm going to miss you guys. I'll try and visit, but I make no promises." Ami said beginning to tear up.  
  
"And we won't get our hopes up." Duo responded once again crushing her into a hug. After he released her Quatre stepped up for his own and even Trowa. Hugging Kamali she demanded that he take good care of Kuniko and after hearing that he would Ami began to lose her control, and felt the tears sliding down her face, but she didn't care. This was a bittersweet moment; she was allowed to cry damnet! Heero was next. Ami jumped up into his arms and whispered something into his ear, her tears flowing faster before pressing her lips to his cheek. Letting go, she turned to Wufei who looked as if he were about to cry. Pulling her into his arms, he pressed his lips to her ears and spoke, sending shivers up and down her spine.  
  
"Don't leave." He whispered into her ear, knowing that it was a tired conversation that they had had during the two weeks. She laughed and shook her head.  
  
"You know I must."  
  
"I know. But you can't blame a guy for trying." Ami quickly pecked his lips and stepped back wiping her eyes with the back of her sleeve. Sniffling, she grabbed the bottle and removed the glass stopper downing the bitter drink in one swallow. She began to feel the effects almost immediately, and fell to her knees crying out. She grabbed her stomach and let out a scream so painful that even Heero was struggling not to cry. On her promise they hadn't moved. They were told something like this would happen and not to interfere, but it was hard.  
  
Suddenly, Ami began to cough violently and green spittle began to foam out of her mouth. After one final violent cough that had all of the boys ready to spring at any second to her rescue, a vile looking creature slide up her throat and out of her mouth. It began to screech but was soon silenced by Wufei's boot. After a few more final coughs, she curled into a tight ball and began to fade. The last the Gundam pilots saw of one Mizuno Ami was a slight apparition before she finally faded and disappeared from their lives…forever.  
  
  


~*~*~*~*~

  
  
  
At first, Ami couldn't open her eyes, because then that would mean that it was true, that she was home. Part of her screamed that this was what she wanted! She wanted to be home, safe and healthy so that she could help her friends. But, the other part of her, more specifically her heart was wrenching in pain. She really didn't want to leave her new friends. Especially not…no! Her mind chided, she wouldn't think like that. They were from two different worlds completely, and literally, it just would work. So why was her heart telling her brain otherwise? Why when she felt two warm tears trail down her checks were they not tears of joy for completing her mission, but tears of sadness for what and who she left behind?  
  
She finally opened her eyes and looked around after what felt like years. She was home, or at least she thought she was. But this didn't look like Tokyo, not the one she left. When she left it was spring and the Sakura blossoms were about in full bloom, and there was a peaceful and calm aura around the whole city of Tokyo. Closing her eyes, she could still imagine how beautiful Rei's shrine was in the spring, and how the senshi would just sit and contemplate life or cute boys or whatever was on their minds while starring at the scenery.  
  
This…this whole image of the world around her did not reflect that peace and security. No, it reflected pain and sorrow, misery and defeat. What had happened here? Did she land in the right place? There were no doors this time for her to choose. She actually had no choice in where she went. And that bothered her. Before it would have been just fine and dandy for some greater power to decide where and when she should be, but now it seemed wrong. If she were powerful enough to not only have led a planet, but protect the Princess of the future she was damned powerful and wise enough to protect her own destiny.  
  
Deciding that standing around was getting her no where, she began to search for signs of her senshi…maybe even former senshi if the time was wrong. Walking carefully over the broken glass of not only bottles but building windows Ami wrapped her arms around herself trying to stop the chill that was running up and down her spine. She decided it was best not to transform into Mercury in case…well she didn't know in case what but it seemed like a good idea at the time. Thanks to the pilots, she had a bit of hand to hand combat training. And also thanks to them she was packing.  
  
Smiling at the faint memory she reached into her sub-space pocket and grasped the cool metal of the gun that Heero had insisted that she carry. She had been about to say no when a glare from him, Wufei and even the cheeky Duo had silenced her. If they were to let her go in some semblance of peace she would sate their fears and take it with her. Her hand still felt warm from when Heero had pressed the metal into her hands and then brought her other hand to hold it. Of course before they allowed her to leave they persisted that she learn how to shoot the damned thing, and was now pretty confident that she could at least hit a moving target from 40 yards away.  
  
Before she knew it, the sun that had been shining so high in the mid-afternoon sky was sliding back down to earth. The once bright blue sky was now a reddish pink, with a few streaks of gold and copper. Sighing, she almost smacked herself for not finding shelter before the sun went down. She knew better! Before she could find a building that didn't look like it would topple over, the sky suddenly grew very pitch black. Stifling a groan, and angry that she didn't have a flashlight in her sub-space pocket she resigned herself to the building that she was standing in front of.  
  
"Halt! You there." Ami whipped her head around fast enough to snap it off. Squinting in the dark, she tried to make out who had called out to her. After wondering around the desolate city for a few hours, she hadn't expected that there were any survivors. 'But of course there are, there are always survivors,' she chided herself turning to face the band of what looked like military rebels. She also chided herself for not pulling her gun out quicker. Heero and Wufei would have been disappointed. Ami tried to ignore the pain in her heart when she thought of them and instead tried to focus on the situation at hand.  
  
"Hello?" Ami called out, raising her hand to block the bright flashlight that was shining in her eyes.  
  
"Identify yourself. What is your code and purpose?" The same deep baritone demanded of her.  
  
"Code? What are you talking about?"  
  
"Sir? I don't think she's all there. She may be a husk spy." Another soldier whispered quietly.  
  
"Perhaps. Can any of you vouch for her?" Ami stared at the group in bewilderment. How long was she gone? Of course, it was only a few months to her, but time might have passed by differently in this dimension. Maybe it was hundreds of years in the future and this world of chaos and pain was her fault. Ami took a chance and spoke up. The best that could happen is they recognize her words and accept her; the worst is that they recognize the words and kill her. Either way worked just fine for her right now.  
  
"Do you know of the Sailor Senshi?" She asked tentatively. An audible gasp was heard from a soldier in the back.  
  
"Who dares speak that name?" the voice said. Ami sighed internally, so it was the latter then. Oh well, if she were to die at least she died for…what was she dying for? Suddenly her despair seemed to vanish. If she were to die in this dimension, she wouldn't go without a fight. That was the way of the senshi; that was the only way she knew. Holding her chin high, she attempted to identify the voice that had challenged her.  
  
"I dare. For I am one. I am Sailor Mercury."  
  
"She died a long time ago." The voice said, this time Ami could hear the utter bitterness and anguish in her voice. That's when Ami realized something. _Her_ voice? Makoto?  
  
"Makoto?" Ami asked her eyes widening.  
  
"Sergeant Kino?" the leader asked.  
  
"I can vouch for her Sir. No one else outside of you knows my first name." Sighing she turned towards Ami. "How you doing Ames? You are just a bit too late to do much I'm afraid."  
  
"Come, let us get into shelter before we attract unnecessary attention, not with a Newbie on the street. Move out men!" The commanding officer ordered. Ami followed still completely confused. If she didn't land too far ahead for her friends to be dead, then how long had she been gone? And where were the others? Ami was so lost in her thoughts that she ran into the soldier in front of her when they abruptly stopped in front of a wall. Apologizing quietly to the soldier Ami watched as the man in charge knelt down and moved over a small rock. Wedging his hand inside the cramped space his fingers wiggled a bit, as far as she could see, and then the wall began to move.  
  
"Interesting." She whispered to herself. The old Ami would have been shocked and amazed, the new Ami that had dealt with five Gundam Pilots was jaded to the moving wall. Once they entered the room, and everyone was inside, the same man pressed another notch and the wall began to slide shut again. Walking down the hallway, Ami was lead to another door, this one thicker. Half expecting to see Wing Zero or Altron when the door was open she felt an odd pang in her chest when instead she was created with a common room, much like a large living room.  
  
"Mercury." Ami snapped to attention hearing her name called. She raised one of her slim eyebrows in question. He continued once he knew that he had her attention. "My name is General Hashiba Seiji. I'm glad to see that you are alive. Kino used to talk of you greatly." Hearing Mako's name Ami scanned the room, but it was just her and the man in there. "Kino went to prepare for you. It's been rough for her. She finally resigned herself to the fact that you were dead two years ago…"  
  
"Two years! I was only gone a few months!"  
  
"Yes, Kino mentioned that. In our dimension, you left five years ago. Still, the senshi did not give up; they never gave up fighting. Not until…" here he paused taking a deep breath.  
  
"Until what?" Ami raged, her mind in a panic, "I have to know!" He nodded and ushered her to one of the couches, refusing to speak until she was seated.  
  
"Until Sailor Moon was killed."  
  
"What?" she whispered, recoiling from the man, her eyes widening, tears falling and forming already forming tracks. Her hands were shaking and she thought that she was going to break down in a complete and utter wreck.  
  
"Hai Ami-chan." A new voice said. Ami looked up and into the sad eyes of one of her best friends. She had changed, a lot. She was much taller than she remembered, but then Mako always had been the tall one of them. She was wearing green camouflage pants that covered standard military issue black boots. Her top was adorned with a green three-quarter length shirt, however on her right side, the sleeve was pinned from the elbow up for she was missing half of her right arm. Ami's hands raised to her mouth, the tears trailing over the obstacles as if they were nothing.  
  
"What…what about the others?" she managed.  
  
  
TBC!  
  
  
So? What do you think? Like this new direction? Trust me, this is one of my favorite works yet so you won't be disappointed…hopefully. Anyway, thanks for your patience, I know I'm slow! Please read and review!  



	8. Chapter Six: The Wrath of Fate

Above All, Exists Love

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Disclaimer: Nothing is owned. The end.

AN: No, I am not dead. And no this story is not over. I cannot guarantee frequent updates, but I can sure as hell guarantee that I will eventually finish this story. The next chapter is in the works, and should be posted relatively soon. And so the plot thickens… :-)

_Technical Note_: Since changed their formating, my html and other such wonderful spacing and readability issues I _had_ previously worked out, now no longer wish to work. Therefore, I apologize if something is hard to read...I will try and Jury-rig this to do what I want it to. Hence all of the random periods throughout this document.

_Comments/Answers/Questions:_

**eventidespirit: **Oh trust me…it's all just getting started. The development will definitely occur. I know it looks rushed and shabby right now, but thus is the price for what I will achieve later. I know it sounds corny and everything, but just trust me. Thanks for your support!

**GracedAngel1854:** LOL! I don't think anyone reads the warnings…:sigh: Maybe I should write it all in caps and underline and stuff? Or maybe that would make it too hard to read. Hmmm…anyway, just trust me young padiwan. It will all make sense in the end. I have a very twisted and downright evil mind…so, you get stuck with this . Thanks for the review!

**heart of ice: **Thanks for the review! I am very glad that you are enjoying this story, and I hope that you will continue to do so!

**DarkAngelPearl: **Thanks for the review! I'm glad that I shocked the hell out of you, mission accomplished. You wanted to know, so here is what happened to the other senshi…or is it? Hehe…(I'm so evil)

**sonar de mercury: **Thanks for your review!

**suisei no mitsuaki: **I know about the realism. Too often in both fandoms, authors tend to forget that war is a messy, messy business. I'm glad you're interested and hopefully you'll stay interested as I continue to sporadically post.

**Scarlet Angel16:** It's updated, sorry it's not soon.

**FilmMaker: **Thanks so much for your praises! :blush: I am a much more proficient author now a days, so hopefully my work will only improve.

**sevin800:** No, I am not ending it there. There is much more I promise you! I'm glad you liked the moment with her and Wufei, still not sure who it's going to be. :-)

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_Last Time:_

"Until Sailor Moon was killed."

"What?" she whispered, recoiling from the man, her eyes widening, tears falling and forming already forming tracks. Her hands were shaking and she thought that she was going to break down in a complete and utter wreck.

"Hai Ami-chan." A new voice said. Ami looked up and into the sad eyes of one of her best friends. She had changed, a lot. She was much taller than she remembered, but then Mako always had been the tall one of them. She was wearing green camouflage pants that covered standard military issue black boots. Her top was adorned with a green three-quarter length shirt, however on her right side, the sleeve was pinned from the elbow up for she was missing half of her right arm. Ami's hands raised to her mouth, the tears trailing over the obstacles as if they were nothing.

"What…what about the others?" she managed.

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**Chapter Six: The Wrath of Fate**

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Makoto sighed and sat on the couch opposite Ami and next to Seiji. He smiled at her and slid her left hand into his, his fingers running along the pad of her palm in a comforting gesture. At any other time Ami would have smiled and pestered her friend at what appeared to be a lover, but this time she was too shocked and broken to do anything of the sort.

"First, I think I should explain a bit about what happened. After you left, we continued to fight. We barely had time to recover from one attack before another would take us down. Soon, we had to start fighting in shifts; otherwise, none of us would have been healthy enough to even stand a chance. When we weren't fighting, we were looking for you. Or for a portal that would take us to you. Pluto couldn't…wouldn't help us." Mako sighed bitterly before continuing.

"It's not her fault, we all know that, but…she could have done something…warned us or something. Anyway, after about a year and half of this the senshi could no longer afford to have you in their…our plan. I never gave up…in fact I'm sure that while the others thought we were resting we were out searching for you. None of us ever gave you up Ami-chan…not until…not until that night."

"Mako…you don't have to continue right now. I understand how hard this must be for you…if only I…"

"No Ami! This is not your fault. It's those…creatures! It turns out that they were just scouts sent to scope out our planet and its defenses. Their masters came three years after you left…that was the year when all hope was lost, when Moon died."

"How?" Was all Ami could ask, afraid that if she said anymore, she would break down and be unable to even comprehend what had transpired here while she was gone. She desperately needed to know, she needed to understand what went wrong and see if maybe there was a way that she could make things right again. She just had to. If she had only been faster, if she hadn't let the boys talk her into staying longer…no she had wanted to stay. That was the worst hurt that her heart had to endure. She had actually contemplated leaving her friends and staying with the gundam pilots forever, just declaring Sailor Mercury…Ami Mizuno dead and truly becoming Kayla eternally.

"I…it was a cold night, the kind of cold that promises snow but a night where the moon shines so brightly through the stormy clouds. And boy did Moon shine that night. She had gotten so mature over the years, I…we all wanted her to grow up, but not like she did. No one should have to grow up that quickly." Makoto paused to wipe a tear off her face before continuing, her voice cracking. "I…I was on patrol with Moon that night, Tuxedo Kamen was resting from a near fatal attack the night before, and Mars was tending to him. Venus and the guardians were "resting"…searching for you. We entered the dangerous part of town, the part that the monsters frequented; I don't why. Usually, we just stuck to keeping them out of the residential hideouts and our area. But, God, Moon wanted to win. After Kamen was hurt, she…I've never ever seen her want vengeance as much as she did that night.

"I tried to warn her, but, the thing is, I wanted revenge too. So I didn't try very hard. I could have stopped her, I was still stronger than her, but, she got to my heart. I've never seen her more determined in my life. So we went in, and it was to be the last time I ever saw her. We didn't know how many there were, because we never entered that area. Maybe, if we regularly patrolled it, it wouldn't have been so bad, with our knowledge, but we always fought for the innocent instead of fighting to win the war. We never considered using a strategy…"

She didn't say it, she didn't need to. The sentence was left hanging and all of those present could fill it in. If only Ami were there, if only we had the senshi of strategy, the brains, we might have won. If only you hadn't left us. There was an awkward pause before Makoto allowed herself to continue her tale.

"So, Moon and I entered not knowing what we were getting ourselves into. Looking back on what happened, I cannot honestly say that we would have done anything different. The only difference would have been that we would have walked in there knowing that we were going to die, instead of only believing that death was inevitable.

"Right away we could tell that this was going to be different. We knew that we had severely underestimated their strength and numbers. There were hundreds maybe thousands of the smaller ones, the scouts. And the further in we went, the more powerful the beasts became. We…the senshi, had no idea what we were getting into. If only we had known then what we know now…" Makoto paused to collect herself again. And Ami was trying her damndest not to cry. She knew that if she broke down now, there would be no going back; she would be forever lost to the tears, to the pain.

"They came out of nowhere, to this day I'm not even sure of what level and type they were. But, from the force of the attack I'd definitely have to classify them as a level eight type warrior. Before I knew it, one of them had my whole arm in its mouth as it drug me through the streets. The last I saw of Moon was two monsters trying to rip her in half as she screamed at them to just kill her, just end her pain. She went in there to die, and I never realized it until that moment."

"But you didn't see them kill her?" Ami asked, not allowing the slight hope that she was feeling swell and take root in her heart. Makoto leveled a cool glare in Ami's direction.

"I do hope that you are not suggesting that she is still alive and we left her there to die. No one could have survived that place. _No one_."

"You did." The words left Ami's mouth before she had time to think about them. As soon as Ami was able to comprehend what she said she clasped her hands over her mouth and flushed a dark pink. "God, Mako…I didn't think. I don't even know why I said that. I'm so sorry." But it was too late, the damage was done. She had merely said Makoto's greatest fear, that she had left her there to die, that there was a chance that their princess and best friend was somewhere dying because she was too frightened to enter that part of the city again. Makoto stood and walked over to the door to the barracks.

"Don't you think that I tell myself that everyday?" Then she was gone and only the hurt and pain in her eyes lingered in Ami's mind. She turned her gaze to Seiji to find that he was glaring at her.

"I think that she has enough pressure being the last living senshi, she doesn't need the stress that you are bringing her. Either help us fight or get out."

"Wait! What do you mean the last living senshi? Mars and Venus are dead as well?"

"Mars and Venus yes, Rei and Minako no. Those two gave up on the fight a long time ago and now are no longer a part of Makoto's world. I suggest that you decide who dies, Mercury or Ami." With that, he turned on his heel and followed Makoto's trail out of the room.

"Once again, it is down to me and a decision that could end my universe." Ami sighed to herself slumping her shoulders in defeat. She really was getting sick of this life-altering decision crap.

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Two weeks later, Ami still hadn't made up her mind about whether or not she wanted to join Makoto in her cause. Don't get her wrong, she was willing, able and ready to fight for earth and her people, it was just that…after some careful observation, Ami discovered that Makoto's way of obtaining freedom and peace was not necessarily one that she could agree with. She did however volunteer her services in the emergency ward of their health clinic. While she wasn't going to fight for them just yet, she certainly wasn't going to stand by and watch them die from something that she could have prevented.

But Rei and Minako were always on her mind. She wondered what happened to the two of them, and if she should continue to wonder, helping with the cause, or abandon her only friend, (that she knew was still alive) and wander out into the world of chaos and death alone, in search of them.

A sharp scream of pain brought her attention back to the present. Two of the soldiers were carting in a young boy soaked in his own blood and sweat. Several lacerations adorned his once perfect, precious body, and a few fingers were notably absent from his right hand.

"What the hell happened to him?" Ami asked without very much emotion. Two weeks in the health clinic had dulled her emotions to such an extent that she feared if she would ever return to who she was before her hell began, and for that Ami's heart broke. Not for the war that ravaged her home world, not for the loss of her friends and fellow senshi, and not even for her broken heart at having to leave her new friends, but for her innocence. More than ever, Ami's innocence was forever shattered.

"Trackers, he was apparently left behind in sector 32 B after the first team swept." Shaking her head, Ami nodded to gurney to the left of the soldiers.

"Just place him there, I'll see to him." Once the boy was securely restrained to the bed, Ami proceeded to clean and cauterize the stubs that had once been fingers. Ringing out a wash cloth in a bowl of hot, sanitized water, she gently washed the blood from his hand and body. It turned out that the majority of the lacerations were superficial and required nothing more than band aids or butterfly bandages. Only a fairly deep cut on his forehead required stitches. The boy, Ai, remained motionless throughout the procedure, a feat Ami doubted that she could achieve.

"How is he?" A new voice whispered in sadness. Ami glanced over her shoulder to see Mako standing just inside the doorway, her green eyes watering slightly. Ami raised an eyebrow in question. Makoto had never bothered to visit any of the patients before, let alone visit Ami in the EM ward. Ami could understand her feelings; this was the most depressing wing in the facility. Barely half of the patients brought to her survived the night. Young Ai's chances were good however.

"He'll survive. Why the sudden interest?"

"Seiji's little brother."

"I see…"

"How have you been?" Makoto asked, almost as an afterthought. Ami shrugged in response, moving to clean up the supplies that she had used on Ai. Makoto sighed and leaned against the wall, crossing her legs at the heels, her left hand tucked safely in her pocket. "You gonna hang out in here?" She asked after a long pause. Ami shrugged.

"I help where I can."

"Damn it Ami!" Ami wasn't sure if it was Makoto's suddenly raised voice or her fist slamming against the wall that startled her more, but Makoto definitely had her attention. Makoto's fist was clenched tightly, her head tilted downwards, eyes downcast, "We could really use another senshi…" before Ami could utter a response, Makoto was out the door, and Ami was left alone with Ai's unconscious body.

Ami sighed, calling in two other clinic volunteers to help her move Ai's body to his bed for the night. Thanking them as they left, she removed his tattered clothes and slid a gown on him. Pulling the covers up to his shoulders she insured that the IV was in comfortably and that he was resting.

Making her way to her own small chambers a few hours later, Ami felt more exhausted now than she ever did fighting youma. Two weeks of being constantly on call, in a world where a young, violent death was almost a certainty was beyond draining. Mentally and physically Ami felt worse than some of her patients. Her patients, she thought with a bit of a sarcastic tilt of her lips as she removed her sweaty, blood soaked clothes and pondered that phrase. It was her dream, her goal in life, to have patients, to care for others. Now that she did…

As she stepped into the warm spray of the shower, her head resting on the cracked tile, the water cascading down her sore body she cried, soft, quiet tears. Deciding that Makoto was right, that she needed to learn more about their operation and decide where she really fit, Ami sighed. As much as she didn't want to leave the hospital, she knew that she would burn out if she stayed. Maybe she'd talk to Makoto about rotating between the ward and some military missions.

Dressing in a soft night shirt, she combed out her wet hair and crawled into bed. Nothing could be done about it now. She'd do a bit of research and then come to Makoto with her offer. That decided she turned off her lamp and closed her eyes, drifting asleep almost immediately.

.

It was to be another week before Ami finally made her decision to leave the compound and search for her other senshi on her own. As much as she would like to say it was bravery or curiosity, neither were the driving force for her departure from Makoto. It was something that she understood Makoto had never wanted her to see. Something, that as a senshi...no as a human being she could not tolerate.

"Ami!" Makoto had followed her back to her room, knowing that Ami would leave after what she had seen. "Please, you don't understand."

"Of course I don't Makoto!" Ami thundered back, throwing what meager possessions she had amassed in the few weeks she had been with Makoto into a duffle bag, along with some supplies.

"Ami...please. You weren't here for the worst of it, you didn't see..."

"You're right! I didn't see. And I am glad that I didn't. I don't want to even think..." Her right hand moved to her lips to hopefully hide the fact that they were quivering. "I don't even want to think," she finally managed, her voice cracking a bit, "what you would have to go through to even contemplate doing that to anything...let alone a human."

"Ami." Makoto's voice was sharp. "You have no right to lecture me on how I keep those of us in the resistance alive. If this is what it takes, then a few lives will be sacrificed for the greater good."

"Makoto! Listen to yourself, when has it ever been acceptable as a senshi to sacrifice any life but our own?"

"I am no longer a senshi. I am merely a human fighting for my existence against a force that we cannot possibly win against. The only thing I can hope for is to make the life of the children, such as Ai as easy and worry free as possible in this new world. You should never have come back Ami-chan." Makoto said, shaking her head. "We don't need you now, and you'll only suffer for all of your troubles." Ami reeled back as if she had been slapped.

"You're right," She said shaking her head. "I never should have left the world I was in. No matter what they went through, they knew the difference between right and wrong. Takashi was your friend!" She shouted, still unable to comprehend what her friend was doing.

"He was going to die anyway. He asked for it. What you saw doesn't always happen, only those resistance members who request that their deaths not be in vain go through...that. Do you think it's any easier for us? Ami, you can't be that naive as to think that we can possibly do anything against these monsters without drastic measures?"

"But human experimentation, no matter the cause...I can not condone that Makoto. And what you were doing to those creatures was beyond cruel, there was joy in what those 'doctors' and you were doing to it." Hugging herself to fight off nausea, Ami shook her head, as if clearing the feelings and emotions out of her head, as well as the images which she feared she'd never be able to forget. How exactly does one forget the image of comrades operating on a live conscious man while he screamed from the pain?

"I knew you wouldn't be able to. You haven't changed much Ami...you're still the same naive high school girl that thought we could change the world."

"And you have changed. You are now a bitter old hag who is already dead, and you take no joy, no misery, nothing from this world. You are a void of humanity." Ami knew her words were harsh, but she realized with a sinking heart that she meant every word. Makoto nodded slightly, a definitive movement, as if she had weighed Ami's words and accepted them into herself.

"I'd like to see you stay the same after...everything."

"I'm not saying that I would be the same, and I hardly think of myself as the same naive Ami that left here. But no matter how desperate things become, no matter how hard or how impossible the task there is always hope. As long as you never give up striving for freedom, as long as you have people you love and want to protect, it's not over.

"I would never have lost my hope, because hope is the one thing that no enemy, no matter how strong or unbeatable can ever take from you. Your pride, your honor and your hope, and on my pride and honor as a senshi, I will find the others and I will make a difference." With that, she grabbed her bag and left the room, Makoto didn't even look back as she left, she didn't make a move to stop her.

_._

TBC!

Expect Chapter Seven in the somewhat near future. Please Read and Review! Thanks!


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